Z: A Heroic Journey
by BeMan47
Summary: Nearing the six-year anniversary of the Cell Games, Gohan enlists at U.A. High School, with the hopes of becoming a professional hero and making new friends and allies. Partly inspired by the stories The Symbol of Peace and Justice and My Golden Warrior. Initially Gohan-centric, but gradually expands to multiple perspectives.
1. Six Years Later! Heroic Ambitions

"Quick! We're lucky neither the police or any pros have arrived yet. Let's just take the duffel bags and get the hell out of here!"

Keeping his hands pointed at the hostages, the masked robber inclined his head towards the bags spread across bank counter. His fellow companions, whose faces were concealed with the same plastic mask as their boss, nodded at their leader' order and began collecting the duffel bags.

"You shouldn't be doing this! This money doesn't belong to you!" One of the hostages said loudly, his voice filled with anger. "And how dare you deface our World Champion by wearing his face as your mask!"

In response to his outburst, the leader of the bank robbers fired an electric blast near the kneeling hostage as a warning shot, scorching the floor in front of him. Grinning underneath his mask as the hostage backed down in fear, the leader bellowed, "I don't give an ass whose money it is. It's ours now!"

That seemed to deter any more protesters among the group of hostages, who began looking down at the marble floor in trepidation.

"We got it all chief!" The leader, nicknamed Red, looked back and was pleased to find all five of his companions each carrying two duffels. Ten bags filled to the brim with bundles upon bundles of zeni.

Nodding towards his men, the leader turned back to the hostages and shouted, "I don't want no funny business, unless you want to end up like these guards over here."

He gestured towards the bloodied security guards who lay unconscious near his feet, as if to accentuate his warning. "Now you lot better stay kneeled on the ground even after we're out of here! Anyone moves or tries to stop us, and I don't care if they an old man or a child, they die!"

As the hostages nodded in understanding of his command, the group of robbers quickly filed out through the entrance of Satan City General Bank. Upon exiting the building, they could immediately hear police sirens blaring in the distance. It would only be minutes until either the police or professional heroes arrived.

Almost simultaneous to their withdrawal from the bank, their getaway vehicle - a large white van - screeched up to the curb of the sidewalk. The six robbers quickly made their way down the stairs leading down from the bank and one by one, jumped into the van through its backdoor. As soon as the last robber made it in, the van launched back onto the road.

The robbers huddled together in a circle at the back of the van, holding on tightly to their stolen loot.

"You boys got everything?" The driver asked, as he sped through the traffic.

"Sure did, Purple!" One of the robbers exclaimed, lifting up one of the duffle bags to his nose. He was nicknamed Blue. "Five-hundred million zeni all up in these bad boys. Another successful heist committed by the Red Shark Gang."

"That raid was so easy. That had to be a new record - five minutes tops. Those lazy guards stood no chance against us! You'd think a bank endorsed by the World Champ himself would have better security. We took down those fat bastards in one minute. " One of the other robbers, nicknamed Green, added.

"You both shouldn't celebrate yet," Another robber, nicknamed Yellow, warned them, keeping his Ak-47 close to his chest. "Until we reach the meeting point, we're still at risk of being caught. If not by the police or pros, then by Satan's daughter or that-"

"Relax Yellow. Everything's going according to plan. Our bosses planned everything out meticulously. Once the police arrive at that bank, we'll be way too far ahead of them," Blue said. "Besides, that's why we have our fearless Red with us. Unless All Might's decided to visit Satan City today, his Quirk can easily take anyone who tries to mess with us."

Before Red could respond, he suddenly lurched forward, his legs buckling underneath him as the van came to an abrupt halt. Thankfully, before he collide onto the floor, Yellow caught him by the collar and pulled him back upright.

Patting Yellow's back in thanks to his companion, Red shouted to their driver, "What the hell is going on, Purple? We hit something?"

The driver looked back, his expression contorted with confusion, "No chief. There's nothing in the road in front of us. And the van's working fine as well. It's as if something has hooked us from behind. It's stopping us from moving."

To prove his point, Purple pressed his foot hard against the accelerator, only to be met with the sound of the van's skidding tires.

Red frowned. Could the police possibly have caught up with them so quickly. No, they couldn't have. If they had, they would have attempted to surround them and call for their surrender. Or had a pro hero found them whilst on patrol? That was definitely a possibility, and one that Red was ready for.

Red looked to his men, "I'm gonna open the backdoor and see what's up. If it's the police, then I'll cut off whatever they've used to hold back the van while you guys give me covering fire. If it's a pro, only fire if I say so."

"Got it boss." Blue said, as the others readied their AK-47s.

Red moved to the back of the van. He took a deep breath, charged up his hands with electricity and unlocked the latch. However, before he could slid it open, the backdoor was suddenly ripped off its hinges, rocking the van. The unexpected force caught Red and his fellow bank robbers by surprise, throwing them against the back of the van's front seats and onto their backsides.

As Red and the others arose from the floor, Blue holstered his rifle and screeched, "Holy crap, it's the Golden Warrior!"

Red turned to look, his eyes widening in surprise at what he saw. Standing there with the bursted open backdoor at his feet was a tall, sinewy man with spiky golden-blonde hair and skin that seemed to glow faintly yellow. He wore a black overshirt over a long-sleeved white t-shirt, as well as red khaki pants. However, what startled Red the most was his eyes. His turquoise-teal eyes glared daggers at the group of robbers, his scowl deepening with every second. To those not hardened by a years of crime, the face he showed to the bank robbers made him look quite frightening.

 _So this is the Golden Warrior, huh._ Red thought, feeling the electricity crackle in his hands. _I'll admit, he does look a tad more impressive in real life than those blurry pictures of him on the internet. But in the end, the bastard's just a goddamn vigilante._

Behind the Golden Warrior, a dozen or so cars had skidded to a halt, having had to stop abruptly to avoid hitting the vigilante or the van. Several passengers had exited their vehicles; many of whom were either watching or recording the scene before them.

"It's not good to steal. Return everything back and peacefully surrender to the police, or else," The golden-haired man voice was deep and commanding, though to Red, it almost sounded like a child attempting to act like a man.

"TAKE THIS YOU GOLDEN-HAIRED FREAK!" Before Red or the others could stop him, Blue aimed his firearm at the Golden Warrior and fired what seemed like an entire magazine at the vigilante. Under normal circumstances, Red would have scolded him for his hastiness. Despite his aggressive demeanour, Red had always advocated the minimisation of needless deaths during their heists. However, Red could do nothing but gape in shock.

Not only had the Golden Warrior avoided all the bullets, he had caught them all with his bare hands. It happened in the blink of an eye; there was not even a scratch or a graze on his skin. Red had never seen anyone move their hands so swiftly. The vigilante smirked at their stunned silence, and outstretched his arms, dozens upon dozens of bullet shells dropping from his hands.

Shaking his head to clear his head, Red launched himself forward and activated his Quirk, feeling the electricity pulsating through his body. If he didn't do something quick to stop him, this golden-haired fighter would ruin their consecutive run of successful heists across the city.

"Get out of our way!" Red shouted, firing twin electric blasts at the golden-haired vigilante.

To Red's surprise, the Golden Warrior deflected the blasts with his hands, redirecting them into the sky as to avoid hitting any bystanders. Before Red could blink, the Golden Warrior vanished, seemingly into thin air, before reappearing in the van, encircled by the group.

The six bank robbers surrounded him. Before they could attack, the Golden Warrior punched both Blue and Yellow in the stomach, the strength of his blow immediately knocking them out. Green tried to strike him with his rifle, but the vigilante grabbed the firearm, crushed it in his bare arms, and flicked Green in the face with his fingers. He then turned to the robbers known as Pink and White, and used to his legs to sweep them off their feet, before chopping their neck with controlled precision.

As the unconscious Green, Pink and White fell to meet the floor, The Golden Warrior turned to Red, who could feel his entire body trembling. He had neutralised his men in mere seconds. The criminal had been operating in the Red Shark Gang for nearly twenty years, but in all that time, he had never seen a powered individual move as quickly or as decisively at this vigilante. Hell, from what he had seen, he was as fast as the World Champion himself. And with how he had caught those bullets, he was almost positive this golden fighter was as invulnerable as Hercule Satan too.

 _What kinda Quirk does this freak have? Super speed? Super strength?_

"Don't move, freak," Over the Golden Warrior's shoulder, Red saw Purple press an assault rifle against the back of the vigilante. "Unless you want a bullet in your spine."

Purple stood up on his seat, his forehead beading his sweat. He turned his head to Red, "I got him, boss. Just knock him out with one of your electric blasts. The van's still runnin', and we can still break off before the cops come. We can bring him back to base and show him how the Red Shark Gang treats those who interfere with our operations. I'm sure Leader Rock will want a word with him."

Red grinned, making a mental note to thank Purple later. He activated his Quirk once more, feeling the electricity course through his body. However, as he directed it towards his hands, The Golden Warrior narrowed his eyes, and said something under muttered breath.

Red frowned, unable to hear what he was saying, "Eh, what the hell are you babbling about?"

"Sorry, I should have spoken louder," The golden-haired man said. "I asked whether those electric attacks of those kill people?"

"Nah, they don't. I'm not a killer, kid. They just knock yah unconscious," Red answered. "Why, you scared to die, _punk_?"

The Golden Warrior grinned at that. "Not particularly."

"Well, you'll wish you were dead after our boss has his way with you!" And with that, Red fired another blast of electricity at the Golden Warrior.

Before the electric blast could hit him, The Golden Warrior vanished, the attack passing by where he previously stood. Red could not help but watch in horror as it collided into Purple, smashing the driver hard against the mirror of the van. As the driver slumped against the dashboard of the van, unconscious, Red felt someone tap him on the shoulder.

Red whirled around with raised hands, only to be immediately met with the side of the Golden Warrior's palm against his neck. Red fell to the ground, feeling his entire world turn to black. The last image he saw before slipping into unconsciousness was the Golden Warrior standing above him, regarding him with a triumphant smile.

* * *

 _Well, that went better than I expected_. Gohan Son thought to himself, as he depowered in an alleyway adjacent to Satan City General Bank. _That whole thing took like what, two minutes tops? Has to be a new record. Let's hope next time, I can deal with these type of situations even quicker!_

Under the alias known to the public as the Golden Warrior, the fifteen-year-old son of Goku had just delivered the van of bank robbers to the police officers assembled outside the bank. However, the teenager had used his super speed to disappear from their view, just as the officers had attempted to question him. As well-intentioned as the Satan City Police Force were, the Golden Warrior could not afford to interact with the law enforcement in any capacity. Due to his status as a vigilante, he knew they would ultimately be forced to arrest him.

Gohan exited the alley, wearing the Taitans baseball cap and yellow t-shirt he had stored in a bag underneath a large trash bin in the passageway. Since his first appearance as the Golden Warrior in Satan City one month prior, Gohan's red khaki pants, sleeveless white shirt and black overshirt had become synonymous as the uniform of the vigilante. As such, whenever he came to the city, he had been forced to bring with him a spare change of clothes. In doing so, it allowed him to blend in seamlessly with the populace of Satan City.

Gohan looked towards the bank, slinging his back onto his back. The police were currently in the process of locking off the bank as a crime scene; there didn't appear to be any professional heroes present. A crowd of spectators had gathered near the bank, talking amongst themselves about the failed bank heist. Many were muttering about the surprise appearance - and subsequent disappearance - of the Golden Warrior. As the hostages were being safely led out of the bank's entrance, Gohan spotted the unconscious criminals being loaded into a police van.

 _All in all, a good way to cap off an afternoon's work. That should be enough for today. I should get those groceries mom asked me to buy. Now if I remember correctly, it was vegetables, salmon, ramen, chicken breasts and-_

"Hey you, did you see what happened here?" A sharp voice cut through the half-saiyan's thoughts. Gohan turned around and found that a beautiful girl around his age had asked him the question. Her black hair fell down in low pigtails that reached past her shoulder, framing a pale heart-shaped face. Though she had a slender and very athletic frame, she was quite short, with Gohan standing a head taller.

What struck him about her however were her eyes. They were large and a brilliant shade of pale blue, almost strikingly so. They looked almost familiar to him, though Gohan could not place the similarity. She was wearing a plain-white, short-sleeved shirt with black shorts, as well as black fingerless leather gloves.

"Um, I only just saw what happened briefly," Gohan stammered in response, disarmed by the suddenness of her question. "Apparently the Golden Warrior appeared and placed the white van in front of the police, and just disappeared! Imagine that."

The girl frowned. "What do you mean apparently? Didn't you see what happened?"

"Uh, yes, well, I mean apparently because all I saw was-all I saw was a blinding flash of golden light," Gohan quickly said, finding himself stuttering. "I don't know if it was him or not hundred-percent, but that's what he looks like, right? Golden hair and green eyes? Glowing gold? At least that's what I heard."

"I see," The girl stepped forward and stopped a few steps ahead of Gohan, staring intently at the bank. She placed her hand against her chin, seemingly in deep thought. "So the Golden Warrior stopped the bank robbers from escaping with the stolen zeni, delivered them to the police and just disappeared? Sounds exactly like him. Looks like the captain didn't even need my help after all. I would have liked to have seen the Golden Warrior though. He can't just continue his vigilantism without-"

The girl began to mutter to herself, now ignorant to Gohan's presence. The half-saiyan was clueless as to what to say. All he knew was that he needed to get those groceries for his mom soon, or else he would be facing the prospect of a late dinner.

The girl placed her hands on her hips. "Well, anyway, thanks for speaking with me. Say, you look around my age. You go to school nearby or….huh?"

By the time the girl had turned around, Gohan had gone.

"Where the hell did he go?" Startled at his sudden disappearance, the girl frantically looked around, unable to comprehend how the black-haired, dark-eyed boy had seemingly vanished.

* * *

"WOOOH!" Gohan shouted as he soared through the air, a wide smile stretched across his face.

Having finished grocery shopping, Gohan lay atop the magical yellow cloud known as Flying Nimbus, flying through the blue-and-white sky. With the winds brushing through his hair and the lush spread of fields and mountains below him, it was these moments of flight that granted Gohan a reprieve from the incessant routine of his life.

Of course, he could have easily flown without the aid of Flying Nimbus, but his mother refused to risk the chance of him being spotted. Without a provisional hero license, individuals were not allowed to use their Quirks out in the public. Although his ability to fly did not derive from a Quirk, Gohan had agreed with both his mother and Bulma's assessment; he doubted that the authorities that regulated the usage of powers would understand the intricacies of _ki_ control.

Being airborne also gave Gohan the opportunity to think and reflect. It was approaching the six-year anniversary since the end of the Cell Games. The half-saiyan more than anyone else remembered that day all too well. Gohan's defeat of Dr. Gero's greatest creation had come at a great price - it had cost him the life of his father. Son Goku's sacrifice to save Earth however was a fact only known by a select few. To most of the world, Hercule Satan was the champion of the Cell Games. Following the end of the Cell Games, the World Champion had claimed victory over Cell. Now, the man was worshipped across the globe as the vanquisher of the villainous bio-android. A villain that not even the greatest of heroes could defeat.

Unlike his mother, Gohan had not been angered by the fact that Mr. Satan had stolen his credit. On the contrary, he was quite grateful. From everything he had seen on television, it was clear that the World Champion was handling the attention and fame of being the official winner of the Cell Games much better than Gohan would have. He had no need of the acclaim that would come from such a status. Besides, living in Mount Paozu with his mother and little brother, that was the way of living the half-saiyan preferred. He would have hated to have that disturbed.

Since the Cell Games, Gohan and the rest of the Z-Fighters had gone their separate ways. The last time they had all reconvened was for Krillin's wedding to Android #18. That had been nearly two years ago. With the exception of Tien and Chiaotzu, Gohan would see the others on an intermittent basis.

Krillin, #18 and their daughter Marron lived with Master Roshi on Kame Island. Though Yamcha remained a bachelor, he had continued using his martial arts training and control over _ki_ to sustain a highly successful baseball career. The prideful Saiyan prince Vegeta had married Bulma and lived at Capsule Corporation with their son Trunks, who had become best friends with Gohan's younger brother. Finally, Piccolo maintained his persistent aloofness - if he wasn't training in the wilderness, he was meditating on the Lookout, as well occasionally aiding Dende in his duties as Guardian of Earth. Out of all the Z-Fighters, Piccolo and the Briefs were the ones Gohan and his family saw often.

As for Gohan himself, following the defeat of Cell, his mother had made him give up martial arts training in order to focus on his studies. Gohan had not minded - unlike his father, he did not particularly enjoy fighting. As a competitive sport, he liked martial arts well enough. However, following all the battles he had faced since the age of four, the half-saiyan simply wished to enjoy the current peace the world was experiencing.

He was sure however that in the Other World, his father was busy training with King Kai, whilst fighting the greatest combatants known to the universe. That thought brought a smile to the half-saiyan's face.

Eventually, Gohan reached the Son home. After waving goodbye to Flying Nimbus, Gohan unlocked the door and entered into his house. He was immediately met by the smell of his mother's delicious cooking.

"Hey mom, hey Goten, I'm home," Gohan called out, slipping off his sneakers. "I got the groceries."

"Alright, sweetie. Just come to the kitchen and let's see what you have." His mother responded from another room.

Gohan entered the main room of the Son residence. His mother had begun cooking dinner. His brother on the other hand was sitting on the coach; his eyes were glued to the television screen.

"Hey squirt, whatcha watchin'?" Gohan asked, ruffling his brother's hair. The six-year-old Goten was the mirror image of their father as a child - down to the messy, unkempt hair and the same playful grin.

"Oh, hey Gohan!" Goten said, smiling brightly at his elder brother. "I'm just watching the news - All Might's just defeated a group of villains who kept some old people hostage. He's so awesome!"

"Yeah, he is." Gohan agreed, looking at the T.V. screen. He found himself staring at the image of a very large man with a incredibly muscular and well-defined physique, laughing at something a reporter had suggested. He had short blond hair, swept backwards, with two distinct tufts that stuck up above his head, leaning slightly to each side, which cast a dark shadow over his face, hiding everything but his bright blue eyes. That was the number-one hero in Japan: All Might.

The top-ranked hero was someone that Gohan admired. Unlike other pro heroes, who simply pursued a career as a hero for fame or fortune, All Might was a person who truly believed in promoting the tenants and principles of a true hero. From everything Gohan had seen, All Might was extremely friendly and amiable, with a colourful and dramatic personality. In fact, in some ways, he eerily reminded him of his father. They both shared that easy-going smile; the same smile that showed off a bright, borderline obnoxious, can-do attitude that would inspire others around them.

All Might was a hero that Gohan hoped to be like one day.

"All Might's so cool. And big brother, you're gonna be just like him! You're so lucky to be going to U.A. Gohan. In three years time, you get to be a hero!" Goten exclaimed. "I wish I was old enough to go with you."

"Someday, Goten. And you'll be the best hero out of all of them."

"Speaking of superheroes, Gohan, after you unload the groceries, I need to speak to you about U.A." Their mother called from behind them.

Gohan left his brother to continue watching the news. He pulled out a DynoCap from his capsule box and clicked it open, throwing it on the dinner table. Immediately, bags upon bags of groceries appeared on the table.

The half-saiyan turned to look at his mother, "I got everything you asked, mom."

"That's great, Gohan. After you wash up and do your homework, I'll make sure to cook you and your brother a large dinner. Kami knows why you saiyans have such an enormous appetite. Ah well, at least it gives me a chance to try out a few new recipes."

Gohan smiled at his mother. In spite of the years, Chi Chi Son, the daughter of the Ox-King, was still a remarkably beautiful woman. Her black hair was tied in a bun behind her head, while she wore a yellow uniform with a purple cloth tied on the back with turquoise pants and blue martial art shoes. She had given up martial arts upon marrying his father to serve as a housewife and a mother, but she performed those roles diligently and passionately. Although Gohan feared his mother's fiery temper, he greatly loved and appreciated her for everything she had done for their family.

"Hey, mom, you wanted to talk to me about U.A.?"

"Yes, I did," Chi Chi turned around and appraised her son with a thoughtful stare. "I know you're tired of me asking, but are you absolutely sure you want to go to a hero academia? With your academic skills, sweetie, you could easily get into one of the top high-schools in Japan. You don't have to waste your intelligence on being a hero."

Gohan sighed. Although his mother had only recently acquiesced to his wish to enter U.A. High School, she still occasionally attempted to convince him to pursue a different field of education.

"Mom, we already this conversation. Sure, if I wasn't who I was, I would love to be a scholar. However, with my abilities, I can really help a lot of people," Gohan explained. "As a licensed hero, I can use my powers in the open to aid anyone who needs me. No villains would be able to get the better of me - I would be able to defeat them and save innocents from their terror. I don't have to hide who I am from the world anymore."

"You already do that as this silly golden-haired warrior vigilante you play at in Satan City." Chi Chi reminded him.

"Technically, what I'm doing in Satan City is illegal, mom. If I had a hero license-"

"-you would be an amazing hero, I know," Chi Chi said, sighing. "I'm not doubting your ability to be a hero, sweetie. It's just...this is not what I expected you to be doing with your life. I thought that you would be a scholar, a scientist, a doctor or even an orthopedist. Never in my mind - even with your superhuman abilities - did I expect you to wind up being a professional hero like All Might."

"It's who I'm meant to be, mom," Gohan said to her gently. "I'm not a normal person - I'm Goku's son, remember?"

At that, Chi Chi smiled, "Yes, yes you're definitely your father's son. You both have that desire to protect people - I just hope that unlike your father, it doesn't end up with you sacrificing herself for the greater good."

Gohan nodded in understanding, "Don't worry mom. There's no one on Earth that have a power level like Frieza or Cell. Hell, I think even that guy who claimed to be my uncle could defeat almost any hero or villain on Earth. Even the worst of the worst Goten can handle blindfolded."

"I suppose so," Chi Chi said. "Well, if you are really insistent about this, then go. Be a hero. Enrol at U.A. High School and earn your full hero license. It is the top-ranked hero academia in Japan, so at least I can brag that my son is among the best of the best."

"Well, technically, I still have to pass the Entrance Exam to get into U.A.," Gohan said, cheekily grinning. "There's still a chance I won't make it in."

Chi Chi scoffed, turning back to her cooking, "Please, the day Vegeta actually admits in front of all our friends and family to being weaker than your father is the day you fail the Entrance Exam. Whatever it is, I expect you to get the top result. Do you understand, Gohan?"

"Yes, mom."

"Good, now go take a shower and hit the books," Chi Chi said. "Oh, and Gohan, the Entrance Exam is in one week to this day. Try not to forget."

"I won't, mom. Wouldn't miss it for the world."

"Oh, and Gohan?" His mother spoke as she began chopping up meat. "Try not to be late for the Entrance Exam. Set your alarm for 6:00 AM sharp. How will it look if all those pro heroes first impression of you is of your tardiness."

Gohan gave her the trademark Son grin, awkwardly rubbing the back of his neck with his hand. "Don't worry, mom. I'll make sure to wake up extra early to get to the Entrance Exam on time."

Chi Chi chuckled at Gohan's response. "Extra early? Huh, that'll be the day."

With that, Gohan swirled around to walk upstairs, hoping to get in a quick shower before finishing his homework. There was still so much work to be done.

* * *

 **Thanks for reading. This was my first FanFic so be gentle! Seriously, please review and let me know what you liked and didn't like, any story suggestions, pairings, etc. If I decide to use one story element you suggest, I promise I'll credit you. I do have a rough plan for what this story is - trust me, it will diverge from mainline MHA around Hideout Raid Arc to be its own thing. I'm really excited.**

 **In case people are wondering, there will be romantic elements to this story. I'm not pairing Gohan with Videl (she will be involved in the story however at some point). He will have a love interest however. I'm actually conflicted however if he should pair with one of the following: Toru, Mina, Itsuka or Momo. Whichever people like, please let me know. I have ideas for all of them!**

 **Next chapter will be Entrance Exam Arc.**

 **All credit goes to the authors of My Hero Academia and Dragon Ball Z. I don't own anything.**

 **Anyone have any questions please let me know.**


	2. First Meeting! UA Entrance Exam

**Thanks for the reviews, favourites and follows. Really appreciate it. This chapter will be longer than the first by a lot, so I hope you enjoy it.**

 **If people didn't already figure it out, this is an AU-type of story. So not everything will be the same as it is in MHA or DB (obviously)**

* * *

"Today is the big day." Gohan said to himself, emerging from his bathroom with only a towel wrapped around his waist.

The day of the Entrance Exam had arrived. Having awoken at exactly 6:00 AM, Gohan had arisen from his bed and immediately made for the bathroom. Having slept earlier than usual, Gohan was felt positively fresh and wide awake upon stirring from his sleep. After brushing his teeth and making sure to shower his body, the time had come for the half-saiyan to ready himself for what was to come.

After towling his body, he began putting on the clothes his mother had set out for him. Unlike the other applicants, Gohan was homeschooled, meaning that he would stand out like a sore thumb without a school uniform. As such, his mother had insisted that he make himself look presentable. To that end, she had ironed out for him a white shirt, a yellow blazer, pointed lace-up leather shoes, black pants and a dark tie.

After changing into his clothes, Gohan checked himself in the mirror, satisfied with how orderly he looked. There was no point in combing up his messy black hair - the wind from his flight to Musutafu would ultimately undermine the hard work he would put in to keeping his hair tidy. The half-saiyan made sure to pocket a haircombe for when he eventually arrived at the city. He would just have to use the camera on his phone as a mirror.

Before heading down, Gohan made sure to grab his backpack. The application form pertaining to the U.A. Entrance Exam had indicated that in addition to a written test, there would be a practical portion to the exam. As such, Gohan had made sure to pack some spare clothes for whatever the practical test would entail.

Gohan made his way downstairs. The smell of fried chicken, salmon and beef immediately warmed his nose. Due to Gohan and Goten's insatiable appetites, the Son matriarch would usually wake up much earlier than her sons to cook their morning meal. Unlike other families, appeasing the hunger of two half-saiyan boys meant preparing almost triple the amount of food that would normally be served during a regular breakfast. It had been even more when his father had been alive. In spite of this, Gohan had never once heard his mother complain.

He entered into the main room and was pleased to find his younger brother seated beside their mother, who was reading the newspaper whilst sipping on some green tea. Like Gohan himself, Goten strongly disliked having to wake up early, so the fact that the younger Son sibling had arisen at this time to see him off touched him.

"Morning, big brother!" Goten exclaimed, waving as Gohan approached them. "Mom already made us breakfast!"

Goten gestured to the table, and sure dishes upon dishes of delectable food were spread neatly across its surface.

"Morning squirt," Gohan said, giving his brother a small hug in greeting. "Thanks for getting up so early to see me off."

"Ah, no worries big brother! I would never miss the opportunity to wish you good luck. Today, my big brother gets to become a superhero!" Goten said excitedly.

"Technically, after today, your brother will become a hero in training. He still has three years to become a fully licensed hero," Chi Chi corrected, before smiling at her eldest son. "Hello, honey. Did you sleep well?"

"Yeah I did. I feel great actually. Really excited about today," Gohan answered, taking a seat next to his brother. "Food looks really good, mom."

"I'm positive that it will taste even better than it looks," Chi Chi said. "Now both of you - dig in."

Gohan and Goten began digging into the assorted dishes that their mother had prepared for them. As Gohan ladened his bowl with food, his mother asked him, "Gohan, what time will you be leaving from the house?"

"Oh, probably like half-an-hour from now," Gohan responded. "It only takes me like forty minutes to get to Musutafu on Flying Nimbus, so by the time I get to U.A., I should be at least twenty or so minutes early."

"The early you get to U.A., the better," Chi Chi told him. "As I said, even though it's technically not your first day, I doubt the faculty at the school will be impressed if you show up to the exam late. I don't want their first impression of my boy to be that of a dawdler."

"Uh, don't worry mom. I won't be late. I promise." Gohan assured her.

"Hey Gohan, do you think All Might will supervise your entry exam?" Goten asked, his dark eyes brimming with curiosity. "After all, he did graduate from U.A. himself."

"I doubt that, Goten. All Might's not a teacher at U.A. Besides, he's probably busy doing hero-stuff, you know?" Gohan told his little brother. "Everyday, there's a villain attack in the cities of Japan. The country needs all it's heroes to be vigilant and proactive."

"Yeah, I guess that's true," Goten nodded in understanding, though he looked somewhat disappointed with his answer, "But if he is at U.A., can you get me his autograph?"

Gohan grinned. "I'll try my best, bro."

Soon after Gohan had stuffed himself with his mother's delicious cooking, it came time for him to leave. After his mother had sent him back to his room to double-check whether he had taken everything he needed, the Son family exited their house, where Gohan made to bid his family farewell.

"You look so handsome, my son," Chi Chi remarked softly, straightening the collar of his blazer. "You...you look just like your father. I'm sure wherever he is in the Other World, he is so proud of you. I know that I am. You know that I initially didn't approve of you pursuing such a dangerous profession. I will be honest, I still would have liked for you to be a scholar or a doctor. But it's become abundantly clear that being hero is your calling. I guess I should blame Goku for that - you are after all his flesh and blood. Just...try your best, okay?"

"I will, mom. I promise." Touched by his mother's words, Gohan gave her a warm hug.

Gohan summoned Flying Nimbus, with the magical floating yellow cloud quickly arriving down from the sky. Before he could hop onto the fluffy cloud however, he felt his waist being entrapped by the small arms of his little brother.

Goten looked up at his brother, sporting an exhilarated grin. "I know you're gonna be the next number-one hero, big bro! Do your best, Gohan!"

Gohan flashed his little brother a wide smile, and picked him off his feet, embracing him. "Don't worry, Goten. I'm gonna be a hero that will make you proud. I'll make everyone proud, I promise."

* * *

Nearly an hour after departing from his home in Mount Paozu, Gohan had arrived at Musutafu City. The half-Saiyan had visited the city on several occasions over the years, either by himself or as apart of a family outing. The modern Japanese megalopolis sprawled thousands upon thousands of kilometres, filled to the brim with citizens of varying backgrounds and abilities. Unlike Satan City, which had one of the highest concentrations of Quirkless populace in Japan, Musutafu predominantly consisted of individuals with a variety of Quirks.

That wasn't the only interesting thing about Musutafu. It was also the home of U.A. High School - the top-ranked hero academia in Japan. Even a country bumpkin like Gohan - separated from the nearest city by nearly a thousand kilometres - knew of the prestigious reputation of the hero academia. Many of the greatest pro heroes had graduated from U.A. - All Might himself was the most famous alumni from the school. Simply put, entry into U.A. was coveted by almost every teenager wishing to be a professional hero.

Spotting the outline of the hero academia in the distance, Gohan directed Nimbus to the top of a building situated at least several kilometres away from the school itself. Gohan did not believe he was technically breaking the law by using Nimbus as a mode of transportation. However, he was not willing to risk answering the questions and inquiries that would inevitably come from showing up to the entrance of the school atop a magical, sentient yellow cloud.

After sending the cloud away, Gohan floated down to empty passageway alongside the building. Crouching down behind a large trash bin, Gohan clicked open the camera app on his phone and began to comb his messy, tousled hair. He made a mental note to thank Bulma and Trunks for teaching him on how to properly use a phone. Without their help, Gohan would have been clueless on how to work the device.

The half-saiyan checked the time: it was 7:20 AM. During one of his previous visits to Musutafu, Gohan had made sure to register himself as one of the applicants for the U.A. Entrance Exam. As such, by his estimation, he had around forty minutes before they would close off the entrance. With his pace, it wouldn't take more than fifteen minutes to arrive at the school.

 _I could take some time to patrol the city as the Golden Warrior._ He thought to himself as he emerged from the passageway into the busy streets of the city. _However, today is not the day for that. Mom's right - I shouldn't dawdle. I'll just walk slowly and take it all in._

With his backpack slung over his back, Gohan began walking towards the direction of the hero academia. The streets of Musutafu were filled with a diverse miscellany of individuals, all of whom were carrying on with their ordinary lives. However, the ones who caught Gohan's eyes were the amount of uniformed teenagers heading down the same path that he was. Judging by how similar in age they were to him was not foolish to suggest that these boys and girls also shared a similar goal to Gohan.

 _I shouldn't be surprised. Everyone wants to be a hero these days._ Gohan mused, brushing past a wiry group of girls. _Looks like I'm gonna have to really showcase my abilities to stand out. There's no point in holding back._

Around twenty minutes later, Gohan and many other prospects streamed through the entrance of U.A. High School. The main building of the hero academia was a large structure shaped like the letter "H", with all its sides adorned with nothing but sleek reflective windows. Gohan had to admit, the design gave the hero academia a very striking, eye-catching appearance. He almost deigned to call it futuristic.

" _Ooof_!" Something suddenly collided into Gohan's back, crying out in a whimper.

Gohan turned around and found himself looking down at small, green-haired teenager sprawled on the orange-brick pathway, the expressions on his round face twisted with a pained grimace. Parallel to the pair, several students walked past towards the marble stairs at the base of building, either ignoring them or sniggering at the fallen green-haired boy.

"Oh, I'm really sorry. Here, let me help you up." Gohan offered his hand to frail-looking teenager, who had begun to tremble on the ground. The green-haired boy trepidatiously considered Gohan's offered hand for a brief moment, before taking it. Gohan gently pulled him up and waited as the boy patted down his black coat for dust.

"You shouldn't be the one to apologise - I am so sorry for running into you!" The green-haired boy suddenly burst out, bowing deeply towards Gohan. "I was rushing and wasn't paying attention to my surroundings. I should have been more careful. I'm so very sorry to have disturbed you!"

Gohan was slightly taken aback by the boy's nervous ramble, but provided him a reassuring smile. "It's okay. You don't have to worry about it. Are _you_ okay though? For a moment, it looked like you were in a great deal of pain. You still kinda do."

"Oh-ah, please-ah, don't-don't worry, I'm fine," The boy timidly looked down at the ground, his body still shaking. "Besides, I've-um, I've taken much worse. I will admit though, your back is like...it's like I ran into a wall of titanium. You must be really strong."

The green-haired lifted his head and gave Gohan a nervous smile, bowing once more. "My name is Midoriya Izuku. I'm taking the Entrance Exam today to enter U.A. I'm guessing you are as well?"

"Yeah, I am," Gohan nodded, and bowed in response. "My name's Son Gohan. It's a pleasure to meet you.."

"Um, if you don't mind me asking, what junior high do you go to?" Izuku wondered, as the two began slowly walking together to the main building. "I know it's none of my business. It's just that I've never seen your type of uniform before."

"Oh, I actually don't go to school. Never have actually. I've been homeschooled since the age of five." Gohan told him.

Izuku's green eyes widened in surprise, "Wow, so U.A. could potentially be the first school you ever go to? That's gonna be a whole different experience for you, huh?"

"Yeah, the prospect of getting into U.A. really excites me. That's if I get in, of course." Even with his superhuman abilities, Gohan wasn't arrogant enough to believe that there wasn't a chance for failure. Despite the versatility of his powers, it was quite possible for the practical portion of the Entrance Exam to entail a task that Gohan was unable to do. Although the application had stated that they would be fighting in a mock urban battles, Gohan alongside the other participants uninformed as to what exactly they would be battling.

"Deku you damn nerd, you and your nerd friend better get the hell out of my way." An irritated voice ruptured from behind them.

Gohan and Izuku turned around, and found themselves facing a teenager with ash-blonde hair and red eyes, dressed in a similar attire to Izuku himself. The teenager had a deep scowl across his face as he glared at the pair.

At the sight of the ash-blonde boy, Izuku flinched in surprise, taking a slight step back. Gohan frowned. From their uniforms, it was quite clear that the two went to the same junior high. However, from the startled look on Izuku's face, it appeared that the green-haired boy was intimidated by the glowering red-eyed teenager.

"Didn't you nerds hear what I say? Get out of my way or I'll blast you both myself!" The aforementioned teenager threatened.

"Oh, ah, sorry Kacchan. I'll just-uh-here you go." Izuku said nervously, stepping to the side.

"I can't believe you're actually going through with this. You should just save yourself the disappointment and get out while you still have a chance. Someone like you has no place at this school, Deku." The boy known as "Kacchan" quickly brushed past them, not even acknowledging Gohan's presence.

 _There it is again. Deku. I thought his name was Izuku? Must be a nickname._

Several of the students walking by them had noticed the confrontation, and began to whisper amongst themselves. Gohan could make out a few of their murmurs, most of whom were associated with a "sludge-monster" and a boy named "Bakugo".

Gohan looked at the green-haired boy in confusion, "Hey Midoriya, you know that guy right? What's his deal?"

"Oh, that's Kacchan. Well, actually his name is Katsuki Bakugo, but I've been calling him Kacchan since we were kids. He and I go to the same school," Izuku explained. "He's really powerful. A lot of people at my school think he's going to be the next number-one hero."

 _Huh, not with that kind of attitude._ Gohan thought to himself. _Kinda reminds me of someone I know very well._

"Why he does have such a problem with you? You guys friends or…?" Gohan trailed off, waiting for Izuku to answer.

At that, Izuku lowered his head, his green eyes tinged with a mixture of sadness and regret. "Uh, we used to be friends as kids. But nowadays...well, I don't really know the answer to that myself. Ever since his Quirk manifested, he changed. Both for the better and the worst, I suppose."

Sensing that the subject of Katsuki Bakugo was a sensitive one for Izuku, Gohan decided to switch their topic of discussion. He inclined his head towards "Well, anyway, we should probably head in now."

Izuku nodded in agreement, with the two continuing to walk down the pathway. As the pair walked up the marble stairs, the green-haired boy tripped over his feet, almost falling over. Before Gohan could stop him from falling, Izuku was saved by a petite, brown-haired girl, who caught him midfall by making him float with a simple tap on the shoulder.

"Hey, you okay?" The girl asked, smiling at Izuku as she deactivated her Quirk. "Sorry I didn't ask before using my Quirk, but I saw you falling and well, I couldn't just let you hit the ground and injure yourself. Especially on a day like today. "

Gohan looked to Izuku, who at this point was positively overwrought. The half-saiyan tried his best to suppress a grin. From the manner in which the anxious Izuku stared at the girl, it was fairly obvious that the thinly framed boy was very skittish when it came to speaking to girls around their age.

"Hey, who's your friend?" The girl looked up at Gohan with a bright smile. The half-saiyan had to admit, although short, the fair-skinned girl was quite pretty. Her large round brown eyes were capped with thick upper eyelashes, resembling that of a doe. Her hair was bobbed and curved inwards at the ends, with two longer clumps taking the same shape on either side of her face, with short bangs that reached roughly a quarter of the way down her forehead.

Gohan returned her smile and extended his hand, "My name's Son Gohan, but please, call me Gohan."

For some reason, the girl's cheeks reddened as she shook Gohan's hand. "My name's Uraraka Ochaco."

Gohan inclined his head towards Izuku, who was nervously bumbling words under his breath. "And this is Midoriya Izuku. I think he's just really nervous about the Entrance Exam."

"Yeah, I totally get it. So am I. Isn't it all so nerve-racking? I know I'm pretty anxious about the whole ordeal. Who knows what we're gonna be up against," The bubbly Ochaco grinned, before giving the pair a two-fingered salute. "Well, I guess I will see you two inside. Bye."

After Ochaco had left, the half-saiyan placed a hand on the green-haired boy's shoulder, who was staring in the direction the girl had departed in. "You okay there Midoriya?"

" _I just talked to a girl!_ " Gohan heard Izuku triumphantly mutter to himself.

* * *

Upon entering U.A.'s main building, the pair signed their names off and followed the crowd of students into a large auditorium. Taking seats in the back row, the two quietly began to converse as the room filled in with the remaining examinees.

Gohan had to admit, in spite of Izuku's timid and insecure nature, the green-haired teenager was quickly making a positive impression on the half-saiyan. Of course, he had barely known Midoriya for more than thirty minutes, but he appeared to be a very polite and kind person, who possessed a remarkable knowledge about Quirks and pro heroes. Someone who was just as passionate about being a hero as he was.

Gohan just hoped that they would both pass the Entrance Exam. Even if they weren't in the same class, it would be comforting to know that he would have a friend on his first day at U.A. He had a feeling that Izuku felt a similar way as well.

Immediately after the two had exchanged phone numbers, the lights in the auditorium cut out, submerging the room into total darkness. Several seconds lapsed as confused whispers rang through the auditorium. Suddenly, light emanated from one of the luminaires on the ceiling, illuminating the center of the stage.

Spotlighted was a tall, slender man with long blonde hair, spiked upwards in a huge tuft behind his head, and a small yellow mustache. In addition to an upturned leather jacket with a very tall collar, he wore a pair of orange-tinted glasses and a grey directional speaker that covered the entirety of his neck. He also wore a pair of headphones with the word "HAGE" written on the headband. The man was standing behind a large podium, while a large monitor projecting the U.A. High School symbol several feet behind him.

Gohan didn't recognise the man; his rather odd appearance did somewhat amuse him however. He looked like one of those old heavy metal rockers that he had seen pictured in history books. Thankfully however, he did not look as ridiculous as some of those glam rockers Bulma's father would sometimes make Gohan and Goten listen too.

"Oh my goodness, that's the Voice Hero Present Mic," Izuku whispered to him, his voice gushing with excitement. "I listen to his radio show everyday. I can't believe that a pro like him is one of U.A.'s teachers."

"How is it hanging U.A. hopefuls!" The professional hero known as Present Mic shouted enthusiastically, his voice amplified by his large speaker. "Thanks for tuning into me, your school D.J. C'mon now, let me hear you shout it out loud!"

Present Mic was met with deafening silence. This did not seem to faze the pro hero, who carried on as if nothing happened.

"Alright, what an incredible response from y'all. Keepin' it nice and mellow, just the way I like it. If it's all good with you, I'll just skip to the opener and get right into the headlining show of the today's event. Let's talk about how the practical exams are going to be conducted," Present Mic pointed towards the seated participants. "You guys ready to have a blast?"

Once more, the crowd responded to the pro with stunned silence. Gohan himself was surprised by Present Mic's theatrical and flamboyant presentation. Due to the reputation of U.A. High School, he had expected their orientation to the Entrance Exam to be conducted in a more serious and formal manner. Judging by the reaction of his fellow examinees, he suspected that he was not the only one to have thought this.

Present Mic however seemed to take their silence in stride. "Alright my listeners, as it said in the requirements of the application, you rockers and rockettes will be engaging in a ten-minute mock battle in a super hip urban area!"

On the monitor behind him, the screen shifted to display a diagram that marked seven blocks from the letters "A" to "G". Present Mic continued by saying, "After I drop the mic and bring the house down, you guys will be heading to your specified battle centres. You guys can bring whatever you want with you. Sounds good?"

"Hey Son, what battle centre are you?" Izuku asked, as many of the participants checked their exam card. "I'm in Battle Centre B."

Gohan inspected his card. "Oh, I'm in Battle Centre C. Damn, that stinks."

"Yeah, that really sucks. It would have been nice for us to take the exam together." Izuku said.

"Okay, okay, let's check out your targets," Present Mic gestured his left arm towards the monitor, as the screen display changed. Surrounding a digitised model of a city block were three shadows that vaguely resembled robots; the first had 1P, the second 2P while the third one flashed with 3P.

"There are three types of faux villains in each battle centre. You rock n' rollers will earn points based on their level of difficulty so you better chose wisely. Your goal in this trial is to use your Quirks to shred these villain-bots like a mid-song guitar solo!"

Present Mic continued by saying, "But check it out, boys and girls. Make sure you keep your attacks heroic. Anyone who attacks another participant will be automatically disqualified from the exam."

Gohan breathed a sigh of relief. So the goal of the practical test was to accrue points by destroying as many robots as possible in the allocated time. Sounded almost like one of those video-games that Trunks would show Goten and him during their visits to Capsule Corporation. Try as he might, he couldn't resist the urge to grin - the task sounded much too easy for someone with his abilities.

 _Destroying robots doesn't sound that heroic, though. I thought we'd be tasked with rescuing injured civilians whilst attempting to defend them from mock villains. That sounds more like a hero would do._

Next to him, Izuku began to murmur under his breath, though the half-saiyan could not make out the words. The green-haired boy looked incredibly apprehensive about the prospect of facing down these robots.

A stern voice emerged from one of the middle rows, "Excuse me, sir, I have a question?" One of the examinees stood up, raising his hand.

"Hit me!" Present Mic pointed to the participant.

The examinee, whom neither Gohan or Izuku could see beyond his short cropped black hair, raised what appeared to be a copy of the application form. "On the handout, you've listed four type of villains, not three. With all respect, if this is an error on official U.A. materials, it is shameful. We are exemplary students. We expect the best from Japan's top-ranked hero academia. A mistake such as this simply won't do."

 _Damn, this guy sounds intense._ Gohan thought to himself, twiddling his fingers together in his lap. _And here I thought I was serious about my studies._

"Additionally, you in the back. With the messy green hair," The examinee turned around and pointed at Izuku. "You have been muttering this entire time. Stop that. If you can't bother to take this seriously, then leave. You're distracting the rest of us."

Izuku lowered his head and covered his mouth in embarrassment, muttering an apology.

As pockets of laughter broke out through the room, Gohan frowned at the bespectacled examinee. He didn't believe it to have been necessary to call Izuku out like that, humiliating him in front of everyone.

 _Poor guy is already so nervous. This isn't going to help him. I really wonder how he's going to do in this practical test. He better have a pretty powerful Quirk or else he'll be in trouble._

"Alright, alright, alright, that's enough. Thanks for calling in with your request," Present Mic gave the bespectacled boy a thumbs-up, as a fourth robot-shadow appeared on the screen. "The fourth villain-bot is worth zero points. That guys just an obstacle we'll be throwing in your way. There's one in every battle centre. Just think of it as a hurdle that you have to avoid. It's not that it can't be beaten - it just there's really no point."

Present Mic raised both hands towards the examinees. "I recommend my attentive listeners ignore it and focus on the top of the charts."

Before sitting back down, the bespectacled examinee bowed towards the pro, "Thank you very much. I am grateful."

"Alright then, if there are no more questions, then I'll sign off with a little present: a sample of our school motto!" Present Mic flicked his hands upwards, "As Napoleon Bonaparte once said, 'a true hero is one who overcomes life's misfortunes.' Go beyond your limits! Go Plus Ultra!"

On the monitor, the diagram of the urban areas disappeared, only to be replaced by those words in a large green font.

"Mmhm. Now that's a tasty soundbyte. Good luck. I hope you've been practicing more than just hitting the books." Present Mic signed off, as the lights projected on the stage cut off.

There was a pregnant pause as all the examinees attempted to comprehend what Present Mic told them. Soon however, chatter exploded as the participants began to talk with each other about what they had just learnt.

"I'm gonna try my best. I have to try my hardest to pass this exam!" Izuku told himself, with a resolute look on his face. "Time to put those ten months of training to good use!"

"Hey, Midoriya, good luck, ok?" Gohan placed a reassuring hand on the green-haired boy's shoulder. "I can see the competitive fire in your eyes - you're gonna do just fine, I know it."

"Thanks, Son. Good luck to you too. I really hope we both pass and get to join U.A.'s hero course," Izuku raised his fists determinatively. "I'll be honest, I'm really nervous about fighting these robots, but I'm hoping I can get enough points to get through."

"I hope so too, Midoriya."

"Oh, Son, please, you don't have to call me Midoriya. You can-you can call me Izuku if you like, I don't mind."

Gohan nodded, grinning, "As long as you call me by _my_ first name as well, Izuku."

Izuku smiled, "I will...Gohan. And...um, thanks for your kind words. I was so nervous when I arrived at U.A. I didn't really know what I was getting into. I'll admit, I still kinda don't. But you've helped calm me down. I dunno...talking with you has helped me ease my nerves about this whole thing. I know I haven't known you for that long. And I thought I was a goner after I ran into you back at the entrance. But you've...you've got this really approachable vibe about you. No one's really ever tried to talk to me like you have. You...you're a really nice person."

Gohan smiled, flattered by Izuku's compliments. "Don't sweat it, Izuku. You seem like a nice guy. And that's what being a hero is, right? It's not just battling villains or rescuing endangered civilians - heroes gotta be a beacon of reassurance and solace for those they protect. I guess supporting ourselves and our friends comes with that task as well."

"You're right, Gohan," Izuku said, as people began to rise from their seats. "Let's go do our best! As Present Mic said, Plus-Ultra!"

* * *

 **Battle Centre C**

One hour later, Gohan and his fellow participants found themselves outside the walls of Battle Centre C. The group stood in front of a large steel gate that would undoubtedly open upon commencement of the exam, leading them into the replica city district.

Gohan did not bother talking with his fellow participants; he had no doubt that they would not welcome him trying to disturb their concentration. Instead, he engaged himself in a series of stretches, warming himself up for the endeavour ahead. To that end, the half-saiyan had changed out of his suit and tie into a more appropriate attire - he simply wore a plain-white t-shirt, black jogger pants and white trainers.

The half-saiyan had departed the main-building, having extracted a promise from Izuku to inform him of his performance during the Entrance Exam upon the day's end. He was especially curious as to how Izuku would conduct himself during his practical test. The frail teenager did not appear to be a fighter; his physical appearance indicated him to be more of an analyst type. However, Gohan knew from first-hand experience that appearances could be misleading.

Gohan cleared his head, trying to focus on the task ahead. He didn't really have a strategy devised - all he had in mind was to destroy whatever robot came into his view. The half-saiyan however knew that he had to shown some restraint. Harnessing his hybrid conditioning, _ki_ attacks and ability to fly, he could easily destroy every robot in the battle centre within minutes. Doing so however would rob the other participants their chance to shine. He didn't want to make people resent him for stealing potential points; there was no need for him to bogart all the points either.

 _Though if it was someone like Vegeta, he wouldn't give two damns what other people thought about him. Hell, even Piccolo wouldn't pay these people any mind._

"Alright, BEGIN!" The voice of Present Mic suddenly erupted from atop a tall tower.

The steel gates swung open. Although surprised that there was no countdown, Gohan nonetheless leapt off his feet and rushed forward, leaving the other participants behind.

"Holy crap! Did you see that guy? He's moving at like supersonic speed!" Gohan heard one of the examinees loudly exclaim.

"Yeah, what the hell is that guy? Some kind of speeding bullet? Oh crap, we have to move in quick before he steals our kills!" Another shouted.

Gohan paid them no mind. On foot, the half-saiyan teenager sped through the streets of the empty city, vigilant and alert. As he rounded a corner, he found himself being confronted by a three-pointer robot. Before its twin turrets could target him, Gohan propelled forward and thrusting both hands forward, smashed through the middle of the villain-bot, destroying it.

His years upon years of fighting dangerous threats - spanning across both Earth and other planets - had sharpened his instincts, allowing him to react faster to unexpected or changed battle circumstance faster than most. Although Gohan had been lax in his training since his battle with Cell, he knew that his combat senses far surpassed the majority of humans on the planet. Even with the element of surprise, the robot had stood no chance against him.

As the three-pointer toppled to the ground, the half-saiyan flew into the air and immediately spotted a pair of two-pointer bots prowling through a nearby street. Gohan spun himself through the air towards the robots, aiming a set of _ki_ blasts. Upon impact, the two-pointers shut down as the _ki_ blasts blew a hole through their robotic frame.

 _Twenty seconds in and I already have seven points._ Gohan grinned as the two-pointers fell. _I gotta admit...I'm enjoying this a lot more than I expected._

At this point, floating above the middle of the replica city, Gohan could see the other examinees swarm in through the gate. From the sounds of battle and exertion, several had already accrued points, while others ran about searching for prospective targets.

From the corner of his eye, Gohan spotted another three-pointer aiming its turrets at a group of examinees. As soon as the robot fired its homing missiles, Gohan sent several _ki_ blasts in their direction. Midway through its airborne flight, the missiles exploded upon being hit by the energy attacks, therefore avoiding the examinees. The robot turned to face the half-saiyan's direction, only to find Gohan floating well above it.

Gohan channeled his _ki_ throughout his legs and dropped himself on the three-pointer, making sure to stomp his feet against the back of its neck. The sudden force of the blow drove off the head of the robot, causing it to briefly sputter out of control before deactivating.

 _Fifty seconds. Ten points._ Gohan counted as he landed on the ground.

"What the hell, this guy is an absolute monster!" From the group of prospects he had diverted the missiles away from, an orange-blonde haired boy with a black lightning streak shouted those words, as Gohan inspected the remains of the fallen three-pointer.

"Yeah, he's absolutely amazing! What kind of Quirk does he have!" A pinked-skinned girl admired aloud, as she laced a liquid-substance at the feet of a one-pointer.

Gohan flew back into the air, his onyx eyes scanning the city. Finding his next target, the eldest son of Goku rocketed towards a pretty orange-haired girl who was surrounded by two two-pointer robots and one three-pointer. Enlarging her hands to an enormous size, the girl leapt into the air and used her gigantic limbs to group the pair of two-pointers, before slamming them together, crushing them.

However, in targeting the pair of two-pointers, the girl had momentarily forgotten about the incoming three-pointer, who drew behind her. The robot clasped its hands together and lifted them above its head, preparing to squash her. However, Gohan warped in front of the bot and easily caught its arm.

Flaring his _ki_ around his body, Gohan tore the limbs off the robotic construction, before dropping them to the ground. The half-saiyan then cupped his hands together and powered up a moderately-sized ball of _ki,_ which he fired at turrets the robot was currently targeting Gohan with. As soon as those were destroyed, the fifteen-year-old boy then moved forward and launched an uppercut at the three-pointer.

As it fell to the crowd with a resounding _thud,_ Gohan turned to the orange-haired girl, who bore an impressed grin across her face, "Thanks for the save. Killer Quirk by the way."

"Thanks. Your Quirk is pretty cool as well." Gohan gave her a two-finger salute, before flying away. Within one minute and ten seconds, the half-saiyan had procured thirteen points. He continued to roam the city, searching for his next target.

* * *

 **Monitor Room**

Unbeknownst to the examinees, the performances of the many applicants were being closely monitored and scrutinised in a surveillance room not too far from the battle centres themselves.

"I must say, this year's batch of freshman show a lot of promise." A helmeted man in a tan trench coat observed.

"Indeed. Quite a few of them are displaying the necessary traits and characteristics that a professional hero should possess," An individual who appeared to be a humanoid block of cement commented. "Constant vigilance, confidence, swiftness, clear-headedness, the ability to vary the usage Quirks to changing circumstance."

"You are quite correct. A remarkable feat, considering that they have no idea were the robots are located. They must keep their wits about them," A short man, who appeared to be the combination of several animals, spoke, before adding, "They have limited time, must cover a vast area, and hunt down every last target. Some use information gathering, while others rely on speed to pull ahead of their peers. Of course, remaining calm under pressure can be a huge advantage, as can pure power and combat ability. The most successful students are the ones that use a combination of all these tactics They are the ones who rack up the highest scores."

"Like the black-haired boy in Battle Centre C," A tall, curvaceous woman brought up a live video recording of the aforementioned urban area. "The exam is only halfway complete, yet the gap in points between the other examinees and himself is so wide that even if he decided to stop partaking in the exercise, he would still be ahead of most participants."

The panelists watched as the black-haired, dark-eyed teenager dodged the protruding arms of the one-pointer robot, sporting a confident smile across his mouth.

"Look at him - this exercise is almost like a game to him. Wait till he faces the zero-pointer. I wonder how'll he'll react then." The woman continued, with a slight smile on her face.

"That kid is quite incredible. There's not an ounce of fear in his eyes. I've never seen anyone with a Quirk like him before," A blonde man with a skinny frame and angular features remarked. "Who is he?"

"That's Examine #8144: Son Gohan," A pale man with messy, shoulder-length black hair immediately answered. "His Quirk is called Superhuman. It's a mutant-type Quirk that naturally augments his physical conditioning. Essentially, it grants him super-strength, super-speed, etc. Doesn't really appear to have a drawback."

"That doesn't explain how the kid can fly and shoot energy beams out of his hands," A man wearing a large brown cowboy hat said. "He must be the product of a Quirk marriage. His papa and mama probably possess exceptional powers of their own that they passed on to their boy."

"Regardless of the nature of his Quirk, he is doing incredibly well," The curvaceous woman said, as Son Gohan sent the one-pointer crashing to the ground. "At the pace he is going, he might even beat the all-time record for the most points scored. I hope you're not jealous, Toshi."

The blonde man, who wore a striped business suit with a red tie, did not reply as he stared intently at the screen. The teenager had just cleaved his way through two two-pointer robots, before flying off in the direction of another one-pointer. The way the Son Gohan fought - the fluidity and control of his movements in conjunction with his ability to fly and manipulate energy - eerily reminded the skinny man of a certain, spiky-haired martial artist. A warrior that even Toshinori Yagi had deeply admired and respected from afar. A great hero who had disappeared off the face of the earth nearly sixteen years ago.

 _They do share the same last name. Son however is quite the common surname in Japan. Still, is it possible…?_

* * *

 **Battle Centre C**

 _Maybe I let myself get a little too carried away._ Gohan thought as he barraged a one-pointer with a series of _ki_ blasts, sending it to join the scattered remains of its robotic brethren.

Explosions rang through the air as the exercise went into its final minutes. In the home stretch, the participants in Battle Centre were now attempting to destroy as many robots as they could find to bolster their score.

 _If my estimation is correct, then I've gotten around ninety battle points already. Much, much more than I had intended. I guess in the end, the thrill of the exercise got to me. Still..it should be enough for me to be in the upper echelon of the practical exam. Mom should be very happy at least._

"Holy crap! It's the zero-pointer!" Gohan heard a examinee near him shout.

The ground beneath Gohan's feet began to crack in half as the city began to shake. Gohan turned to look behind him, and witnessed an enormous robotic monolith emerge from the ruins of several fallen buildings. The thing stood several stories high, easily towering over the highest monument in the fake city, with eight glowing red eyes on its head and a base shaped like a mechanised tank.

Many of the examinees who were near to the zero-pointer began to panic as the behemoth approached. None dared attack it; everyone began to run away from the zero-pointer as it began to attack the fleeing students. Gohan remained standing where he was, unflinching as he examined the robotic frankenstein of the other three robots.

 _A part of me kinda wants to fight this thing, even if there's no point._ Gohan thought as the others ran past him. _A reckless idea. The best option right now is to disengage. I've already attracted enough attention with my performance - I don't want to be pushed more into the spotlight than I already have._

Gohan was about to fly away, until his ears caught a piercing cry from behind him. The half-saiyan came to a halt and listened closely: it was a call for help! Gohan spun around. In the rubble of the robots he had blown up, someone was trapped underneath the tail of a ruptured two-pointer.

It was as if his body was acting on autopilot. Ignoring the warnings of those he passed, Gohan bounded forward and warped to the location of the trapped individual. It turned out to be a very small boy with a large round head. Where his hair should have been, he sported four large purple and black balls that resembled that of a mohawk. The boy was throwing these balls at the robotic behemoth, but they were failing to slow him down.

"Hey, don't worry. I got you." Gohan bent down and lifted up the tail, quickly discarding it.

"I-I-thank-thank you," The grape-haired boy sniffled, as Gohan helped him up. "No one else was willing to hel-HOLY CRAP!"

The boy pointed up. Gohan swiftly turned his head to find that the zero-pointer loomed over them. Despite all the horrors that Gohan had witnessed in his life, the proximity of the massive robotic monstrosity sent a slight shiver down Gohan's spine.

The zero-pointer raised both of its large arms together, and then sent them crashing down towards Gohan and the grape-haired boy. As the latter began to scream, Gohan jumped into the air and caught both of the robot's fists. Despite its monolithic appearance, the weight of the robot felt nothing more like a brick to the half-saiyan.

"You might want to get out of here," Gohan calmly told the grape-haired boy, as he began to charge _ki_. "I'm about to send this thing to robot hell."

The boy didn't need to be asked twice. However, before he ran off in the direction of the other examinees, he waved up at Gohan and shouted, "YOU'RE LIKE A FREAKING JAPANESE SUPERMAN!"

Gohan could not help but chuckle at the irony of his boy's statement as he scampered off in haste towards the city's exit. As soon as the boy had reached a safe distance, Gohan used his strength to push the robot back with its fists. He then placed both his hands above his head, with the palms facing the monolithic robot.

"MASENKO!" Gohan yelled. He thrust his hands forward to fire a large yellow energy blast at the robot.

Unlike his other _ki_ attacks, the _Demon Flash of Light_ was an energy wave that was considerably more powerful than a regular _ki_ blast. It had been the first technique Piccolo had taught him during their training together; it was a technique that Gohan often used in combat against powerful or larger foes. The energy wave hit the zero-pointer directly in the chest, tearing open much of its upper body. Sputtering out of control, the robot's lower body began to crumble from the inside, causing the behemoth to ultimately crash to the street below.

Upon impact to the ground, the wind generated from its fall blew through the entire city. As the other examinees approached the scene of the zero-pointer's demise, they were shocked to find an unmarked among the rubble, with a slight grin on his face.

" _And that's a wrap. Times up everybody. The practical test is over!"_ Present Mic's voice boomed through the battle centre, signifying the end of the exam.

The half-saiyan could practically feel the stunned stares that he was receiving as he walked alongside the other examinees to the city exit. Normally, it would not have bothered him, but that began to change as he heard them whisper and murmur amongst themselves. Many of their topics revolved around him!

"What kind of freak of nature is this guy? He can fly, he has super strength and super speed, he can shoot energy beams out of his hand. I've never heard of a Quirk like that. He's probably strong enough to take on Mr. Satan or All Might."

"He took out the zero-pointer as if it was nothing. All of us were terrified to even go near it and this guy took it out with a single energy blast! He even saved that perverted midget."

"He's a total monster! Does he even have a weakness? Kami, we better hope this guy doesn't turn evil one day!"

"He's so strong, and a _total_ babe. If we didn't have a written test to do next, I would totally ask him out!"

Gohan found himself hastening his pace as he made his way through the crowd, his face flushed from overhearing their conversations about him. The half-saiyan tried not to let it bother him. After all, he still had a written test to do.

* * *

One week had passed since Gohan had completed the Entrance Exam. The previous seven days had seen Gohan juggle between his studies, chores and his vigilantism in Satan City. He tried to keep himself as busy as possible in order to avoid thinking about the wait for his results.

For the written portion of the Entrance Exam, the half-saiyan was confident that he had done well. At least ninety-percent of the questions revolved around Mathematics, Science, Literature, English and Japanese. Subjects that Gohan had been grilled with from an early age. The remaining ten-percent had been questions that asked the examinees to apply their judgement to hypothetical situations that a professional hero would find themselves in. To Gohan at least, most of the questions he found rather simple to answer. Some questions - especially those pertaining to situations reminiscent to the actions of vigilantism - he had had some difficulty in drafting appropriate responses. In the end, the eldest son of Goku believed that he had achieved a sufficient result at the very least.

Something that had been bothering him since the day of the exam however had nothing to do with the test itself. It was his new friend, Izuku Midoriya. Although Gohan had sent him several texts asking about his performance, Izuku had failed to respond. His lack of a response somewhat concerned Gohan. Had he failed the practical exam? He wondered if that was the reason Izuku was not replying to his messages. Was he nervous or simply too nervous to discuss what had happened during the practical test? Gohan had no way of truly knowing. All he could do now was wait.

On the day his results would arrive, his mother had sent him out to Satan City to once again by groceries for dinner. After purchasing the goods - as well as taking a brief detour as the Golden Warrior - Gohan had returned home to find his mother and younger brother seated at the table in main room.

"It came Gohan!" Goten announced excitedly, as Gohan entered the room. "The letter from U.A. - it really came!"

Sure enough, in his mother's hand was a sealed envelope with the symbol of U.A. "We wanted to wait you for you to come home, sweetie, so we can open it together."

Gohan sat down next to him mother and took the envelope from her. For some reason, he could feel his hands tremble as he slid his fingers through the open gap. Why was he so nervous? He was confident that he had been accepted.

He opened the envelope, and to his surprise, found a small disk with a round blue button on the top. Gohan placed it on the table and pressed the button. He was caught by surprise when a holographic projection of All Might sprang to life. The number-one hero wore a striped yellow suit and a red tie, his face flashing with a wide grin.

"Oh man, it's All Might!" Gohan's brother shouted, jumping up and down on his seat in happiness.

"Hush, Goten." Their mother whispered.

" ** _Never fear,"_** All Might bellowed, striking a triumphant pose. _**"For I am here...as a holographic projection in your home! As the newest member of U.A.'s faculty, I felt it was appropriate to personally congratulate you, Son Gohan, for your exceptional performance in the Entrance Exam!"**_

Gohan's eyes widened in surprise. All Might was going to be a teacher at U.A. High School? A million questions ran through the half-saiyan's head, though he pushed them to the side as the hero continued to speak.

 _ **"First, before we get to the results of the practical test, I must commend you on your results in the written test. Not only were you the highest-ranking student amongst the examinees, you were the only one to score a score of one-hundred-percent! Excellent work, young man! A hero who sharpens his mind as well as his body will always succeed."**_

Gohan smiled. As he had hoped, he had done well on the written test. His mother looked ecstatic at the news.

 _ **"However, as you probably knew, admission into U.A. relies heavily on your performance in the practical test. You were judged based on the amount of points you earned from destroying those villain bots. However, as you may have suspected, there was also a hidden component to the exam.**_ ** _You see, we weren't just watching to see who could take down the most villains and amass the most points! While that was indeed a factor in who passed and who didn't, we were also keeping track of each examinee's rescue points!"_**

Rescue Points? Gohan's eyes widened in understanding. Of course a hero academia would judge a person on those that they rescue. Prior and even after the exam, Gohan had found it especially curious how U.A.'s criteria for acceptance relied solely on the amount of points one would accrue from destroying robots. He could not give himself too much credit however. At that time, Gohan had been so anxious to finish the Entrance Exam that he had no thought on Present Mic's presentation. If he had, he might have suspected something was amiss.

 _That's why they probably didn't warn us._ Gohan thought. _They wanted to see the students who would genuinely help others in need without the prospect of reward. That's brilliant!_

All Might continued, seemingly pointing towards the half-saiyan **" _Son Gohan, I am thrilled to announce that not only did you rank atop all the other examinees, you have also broken the all-time points score at U.A. High School! With a whopping 90 Villain Points and a staggering 60 Rescue Points, your total score of 150 has narrowly beaten that of my own, as well nearly doubling that of second place. I must thoroughly congratulate you on your results, my boy. You have rightfully earned a place at U.A. High School."_**

All Might began to wave his finger. _**"Your exceptional results do not give you the right to be complacent, however. While you should be proud of your accomplishment, the school year had yet to begin! There are many trials and tribulations to face! However, as your teacher, I look forward to aid you on your journey to become a professional hero! Welcome to U.A., Son Gohan!"**_

The top-ranked hero in Japan gave a final thumbs up, before the projection cut off, leaving Gohan and his family to sit in utter silence.

Well, at least Gohan and his mother anyway. Goten leapt from his chair and collided into Gohan, knocking them both to the ground.

"This is amazing! My big brother is gonna be a superhero like All Might!" Goten wrapped his arms around his brother's chest and hugged him tightly.

"Oh honey, this is wonderful news! I am so proud of you. And I know your father is too," Chi Chi clasped her hands together, and went to the kitchen. "I'm gonna call Bulma and Krillin right now and tell her what's happened. Afterwards, I'll make you your favourite dinner dishes. Anything you want, just let me know!"

"Thanks, mom!" Gohan mumbled in response, as he patted his brother in the back. He couldn't believe that he had made it into U.A. He was going to be a real hero.

Goten eventually took himself off his brother, allowing Gohan to get back up on his seat. He was surprised however to find that the projection of All Might had been replaced with a still-frame of a ranking board.

He scanned the names, all of which comprised of the top-ten. Immediately, Gohan noticed that Izuku's classmate Katsuki Bakugo had placed second, with 77 Villain Points and no Rescue Points. That did not surprise Gohan, though seeing how well Bakugo did on the Entrance Exam somewhat raised Gohan's impression of him. Fourth place was the bubbly brown-haired girl whom Gohan and Izuku had met outside the entrance. However, what delighted Gohan the most was seeing Izuku's name in the eighth spot. Although his friend had scored no Villain Points, he had tied Gohan for the highest number of Rescue Points.

As if Dende himself had willed it, Gohan felt his phone buzz in his pocket. He fished it out and saw that Izuku was calling him. Gohan answered the phone and pressed it against his ear.

He was immediately met by Izuku practically shouting, "I passed! I passed!"

"Congratulations, Izuku," Gohan said gently, rubbing his ear slightly. "I knew you could do it. Looks like we're both gonna be heroes!"

"Yeah, we are. And holy crap, Gohan, what is your score? 150 points? That's insane! All Might said you broke the all-time record. He even said you beat his score. That's amazing. You nearly doubled the score of Kacchan. No doubt he's gonna be angry about that. I wish I could have seen you in action!"

Gohan wondered why All Might would mention him in Izuku's recording, but let it slide. He was just happy to hear from Izuku.

"Oh, and Gohan, I'm sorry I didn't respond to your messages. I wanted to...but after what happened during my practical test, I was so embarrassed to even speak to another person. I feel really bad for basically ignoring you for the past week. I shouldn't have - you were the only person besides my mom who wanted to know how I was doing."

Gohan frowned, "Wait, what happened? I noticed you only got 60 Rescue Points and no Villain Points. You must have done something amazing to get that many points."

"Yeah. Something amazing alright," Izuku said, his voice dripping with sarcasm, "Something amazing that almost got me killed."

* * *

 **That ends Chapter Two. Hard one to write, mainly because of the length. Wanted to get Entrance Exam Arc done. Quirk Apprehension Test is up next, and it won't be as long as this one.**

 **Let me know what you think.**


	3. Preparation! Quirk Apprehension Test

**Thanks everyone for all the reviews, follows and favourites. Please, keep letting me know your thoughts. I like reading all the reviews, whether positive or negative or simply asking questions.**

 **Sorry about lying about the length. I had no idea it would turn out this long. Next time, I won't commit to a number.**

* * *

 **Musutafu City**

At U.A. High School, several members of the hero academia's faculty were currently seated together in a dimly lit room, their eyes glued onto the large computer monitor before them. Displayed on the screen of the monitor was a list of the forty examinees who had passed the U.A. Entrance Exam. It was these examinees who had secured themselves a placement within the school's reputed hero course.

As many of these freshmen students celebrated their acceptance into Japan's top-ranked hero academia, a group consisting of the panelists who had monitored the practical test were currently discussing the results of the Entrance Exam. With his exceptionally high result, the individual who had topped the freshmen group had become a source of particular interest for the panelists.

"Incredible. His performance was simply incredible," An individual who resembled a humanoid block of cement pressed a button on the keypad, highlighting the score of the top-ranked examinee. "To think that I would witness someone surpass the points record in my lifetime. I would not have thought it possible, especially considering that the person who previously held the all-time record is currently the number-one hero in the country. But here we are."

"Indeed. With a sum total of 150 points, Gohan Son has beaten All Might's score by 5 points. He has placed himself at the top of our newest crop of freshmen students," The short man, known to the others as the principal of U.A. High School, confirmed. "A very remarkable feat for someone so young and inexperienced in hero work."

"90 villain-points and 60 rescue-points," A pale, dark-haired man observed quietly. "He almost doubled the score of Katsuki Bakugo, the second-ranked student. He also tied the eighth-ranked student Izuku Midoriya for the most rescue points earned.

"Interestingly, neither Bakugo or Midoriya respectively scored any rescue or villain points." A man in a tanned trench-coat and baggy grey pants nodded his helmeted head towards the screen.

"The school year has not even commenced, yet this year's group of freshmen are proving to be quite the talented bunch," The final staff member in the room, a voluptuous woman in a tight white bodysuit, commented. "I dare say they might be the best batch of students U.A. has seen in _years_."

"Let's not get ahead of ourselves," The dreary, pale-skinned man narrowed his coal-black eyes. "While their performance during Entrance Exam is indeed a good indicator for their potential as students and future heroes, it is nowhere _near_ the deciding factor. Even the strongest among them will fail if they don't apply themselves fully to the hero course."

"Well, judging from his perfect result in the written test, I do fully suspect that the strongest among them will do quite well during his time at this hero academia," The helmeted man said. "By no means am I trying to undercut the distinguished results of the other examinees - nor am I already playing favourites by singling him out - but I think it's safe to say that we have a prodigy amongst our freshmen."

"We must remember that these freshly faced students have not even began their hero training yet. Due to the restrictions on Quirk usage, I doubt many of them have even properly realised the full potential of their latent abilities. That is where the training offered in our esteemed hero course will aid them. Even the weakest among the freshmen may arise to become the strongest. Look no further than Mirio Togata." Mr. Principal told his staff members.

"You are correct, Mr. Principal," The pale man nodded towards the short man. "While we are on the topic of Gohan Son, his performance in the practical exam led me to do a more thorough scan of his application documents. I will be blunt - I have some concerns."

"Why? I have also browsed his records and I see nothing on them that would be a cause of concern." The cement-humanoid said.

"That is exactly my point: for a boy with such magnitude of power, there is little listed about him on the public listings. In fact, from the documents I have procured, his Quirk was only registered as Superhuman in the final _week_ leading up to the exam. I'll just be frank - I dislike the fact hat we know so little about him beyond the bare minimum."

"I fail to see how that is an issue - you could say the exact same thing about Izuku Midoriya. He is officially listed as Quirkless yet he destroyed that zero-pointer with a single punch." The curvaceous woman reminded.

"I will speak about Izuku Midoriya and his suitability as a student in the hero course momentarily," The pale man said curtly. "Even if Gohan Son was one of the rare few to have his Quirk manifest later in life, the manner in which he handled himself during the practical test clearly indicates that he has an exceptional grasp of his abilities. Not matter how naturally talented an individual is, even the best of heroes cannot master their newfound powers and abilities so quickly."

"Didn't his application state his address to be in the East District of Mount Paozu?" The woman remembered. "That's a remote area of Japan - thousands of miles east of Musutafu, in the deep countryside. It could be that a country kid like him living in the middle of nowhere didn't have the urgency to register his Quirk until now. I doubt there are even any regulatory authorities in that area - no one is going to care if he uses his Quirk out there. "

"Kami, Son lives in East District?" The helmeted man asked, leaning forward in his seat. "I think the bigger issue is how that boy is going to commute between his home and school. Due to the law, he can't use his flight abilities. Even if someone took him by jetcopter, he's gonna have to leave his home at 3AM just to arrive on time."

"I am also concerned about his commute," Mr. Principal said. "Regardless of their placement in U.A., I want all my students to be able to achieve a sufficient work-life balance. If the time it takes for him to travel between his home and the school proves to be having an adversarial affect on his health, then I will have to organise a meeting with his mother in order to discuss alternative arrangements. I will be keeping a close eye on Son Gohan."

"I as well." The pale man added, pursing his lips together.

Mr. Principal smiled, resting his chin atop his closed paws. "I may be getting ahead of myself, but I am confident this year will prove an a dynamic and exciting time for all our students. Let us hope that we can help foster the development of both their Quirks and character, as well as aid them in their journey to become professional heroes!"

* * *

 **West City**

A day has passed since the results to the U.A. Entrance Exam had been delivered to the home of Son Gohan. Atop of Flying Nimbus, the cold wind blew past Gohan, ruffling his hair and his freshly ironed clothes. As the magical yellow cloud neared West City, the dark-haired boy smiled as he recollected the happiness he had felt from the announcement of his results. He did not even particularly care for the fact that he had beaten the all-time points record. It was definitely an accomplishment he was proud to have achieved However, his performance in the Entrance Exam was something for his mother and younger brother to boast about to their friends in the local village.

 _Just the simple fact that I'm going to be attending U.A. High School blows my mind._ Gohan thought to himself. _To think that in three years time, I will become a professional hero!_

Achieving his Full Hero License was the goal that Gohan had set in his mind. Although the half-saiyan greatly enjoyed operating under his alias of the Golden Warrior, his status as a vigilante brought somewhat of a bitter taste to his mouth. Even with all the good he was doing, his vigilantism was technically prohibited by the law. Official recognition of his heroism however was not what made him uncomfortable with maintaining his identity as the Golden Warrior. Rather, it was the disapproval and derision he would undoubtedly receive from both professional heroes and the police force stationed in Satan City. In spite of his own personal disagreement with several aspects of the Japanese government's regulations on Quirk usage, procuring a Full Hero License would afford Gohan the opportunity to utilise his superhuman abilities for heroic endeavours in a lawful capacity.

Having arrived at his destination, Gohan waved goodbye to Nimbus and hopped off the yellow cloud, floating down to the pristinely trimmed lawn of the Capsule Corporation headquarters. The dome-shaped building loomed over the half-saiyan as he approached it; the home of the Briefs family was an all-too familiar sight for the eldest son of Goku. Some of his fondest memories came from his visits to the cream-coloured building.

Walking through the entrance, Gohan entered the lobby area, his onyx-eyes falling immediately the receptionist counter to his right. Sitting behind the table, typing intently on the keyboard before her, was a buxom woman in her early-twenties. Wearing purple business attire that matched the colour of her eyes, she kept her long dark-brown hair tied in a ponytail that fell down her back. As Gohan neared, she immediately noticed his approach, and gave him a warm smile.

"Hey Aika," Gohan said, leaning his arms against atop the surface of the counter. "I'm here to see Bulma. If she's busy, then I can wait-"

"She's not busy, Gohan, don't worry. Besides, even if she was, you know she'd make time for you. Miss Brief has always had a soft spot for you," The brunette pushed back on her chair, and extended to him her hand. "I hear congratulations are in order. Miss Brief told me that you've been accepted into U.A. High School. Well done. You'll make a fine hero one day, I know it."

"Thanks Aika," Gohan shook her hand, smiling. "I'll see you later."

"See you, Gohan. I'll let Miss Brief know you're coming."

Gohan left the receptionist to her work and followed a pathway that led to the Atrium, a lush cornucopia of trees and wildlife that was home to several animals, such as dinosaurs, cats and dogs. Situated in the middle of the Atrium was a rectangular-shaped sparring arena. Beyond the Atrium was a room that held samples of every Capsule both Bulma and her father had ever designed, regardless of whether they had been commercially released. Further forward in the first level of the Capsule Corporation headquarters, Gohan passed the exhibit room, the Security Jail, the Central Computer Room and Dr. Brief's lab. The final room found on the level, the Workshop, was where Gohan would usually find Bulma, tinkering around with her latest inventions.

Sure enough, when Gohan walked into the Workshop, Bulma was kneeled down by the wheel of a pink-and-yellow hovercar, making adjustments to the vehicle. It looked like a new model the company were readying to employ onto the market.

"Hey kid, haven't seen you in a while," Bulma stood up and looked up at Gohan, grinning at the half-saiyan as she patted dust off clothes. "You should really stop by more often, even if it is with your little brother."

Bulma walked over to him and gave him a hug, which the half-saiyan returned. The blue-haired, blue-eyed Bulma Brief was a strikingly beautiful woman in his late-thirties. Since the last time Gohan had seen the older woman, she had cut her hair in a bowl-cut and had begun wearing gold-hoop earrings. Bulma was currently wearing a brown long-sleeved button-down shirt with dark green pants, a dark brown vest, and brown gloves.

"Yeah, sorry, Bulma. Just been busy studying, you know my mom. She won't let me out of the house unless it's to get groceries or go out hunting for food with Goten." He told her apologetically.

Bulma raised an eyebrow at him, "Then what is this I hear about this mysterious Golden Warrior operating in Satan City? Come on, Gohan, don't deny it - we all know it's you. I mean, who else could have blonde hair, emerald eyes, can fly and be faster than the speed of light? It certainly isn't Vegeta, I'll tell you that much. Kami, I almost wish it was. At least he would be doing something productive, rather than simply train in the Gravity Room."

Gohan chuckled, and raised both his hands in surrender. "You got me Bulma. Yeah, I'm the Golden Warrior. But the thing is, I only ever appear as him when mom sends me out to the city to collect stuff for her. I'm actually surprised you guys have even heard about the Golden Warrior all the way out here in West City. I've always stuck to Satan City."

Bulma gave Gohan a look of disbelief, "Kiddo, you have got to be kidding. You can't seriously expect to operate within the most famous city in Japan and not expect to gain some notoriety across the country. Because of that stupid oaf Hercule Satan, everything that happens in that place is publicised all across Japan. That includes your vigilantism as the Golden Warrior. I gotta say, even among the general public, you've become quite infamous."

"Wait, really?" Gohan was surprised to hear this. As the Golden Warrior, he didn't really stick around after stopping crimes to see what the reaction from the general public would be. After he would defeat a villain, save a helpless individual or stop some street crime, he would just fly off in the sky, looking for the next person to help.

 _I guess I really don't have a finger on the pulse of the city._

"Oh, yeah. A lot of people are divided about you, kid. Many think you're are a menace to society, while others think you're a boon. I guess that comes with being a vigilante. On one side, you've got a fair share of detractors, while on the other you've got a sizeable fanbase among the populace. I even read an opinion piece online that you were giving most professional heroes a run for their money, and another where the author proclaimed you to be the biggest threat to society since Cell. Ridiculous, I know, but hey, what can you do."

"Wow, I did not know that. I had no idea of _any_ of this."

"Well, if you actually payed some attention to what's currently dominating popular culture instead of sticking your nose solely into those textbooks, you _would_ know," Bulma lightly scolded, playfully slapping him on the arm. "Later, you should read some of those articles online, or even some active discussion forums. Hell, there's bound to be a bunch of videos of people discussing you on YouTube. There's even footage of some of you in action. It's not hard. Just type in the name "The Golden Warrior" on Google and _ta-da_ , hundreds upon hundreds of links for you to enjoy. Or hate, depending on your mood."

"Yeah, maybe I'll do that. Thanks Bulma. It's probably best that I'm more aware of what people's opinions are on me. Still, no matter what everyone thinks of me, it's not like it's going to stop being the Golden Warrior. At least until I get my Full Hero License. Right now, as long as there are people in danger, I'll always be there to protect them," Gohan said to her. "After all, there's no such thing as too many heroes."

"That's the spirit, Gohan," Bulma grinned, twirling a small screwdriver between her gloved fingers. "Now, I doubt you came all the way to West City just to discuss your hijinks as the Golden Warrior. Whatcha need kiddo?"

Gohan said, "Well, on the application form, it stated that Capsule Corporation has partnered with U.A. High School to make hero costumes. Apparently we send you guys a report of our Quirk and body specs, as well as what we specifically want our costume to look like. I was wondering-"

Bulma interrupted him by placing a finger on his lips. "Let me guess, you came because you had no idea what you wanted your hero costume to be. As well, you thought you could use our friendship to have me personally create a costume for you, instead of going through the traditional channels like a regular U.A. student. Is that it, Gohan?"

"...uh, yeah, I guess so." Gohan said, somewhat sheepishly.

"Well, why didn't you say so earlier?" Bulma enthusiastically clapped her hands together. "'Ever since Chi Chi told me that you were applying to U.A., I was hoping you'd come here and ask me to design your costume. I've got a bunch of ideas that I think you'd really like. Since I've got the rest of the afternoon off, I'll get to work right away making it."

"Thanks Bulma," Gohan smiled gratefully towards the CEO of Capsule Corporation. "I trust your judgement - whatever you think works, I'll take it."

"Before I get going, I need you to do two things for me. Firstly, I need to know one thing: do prefer a hero costume with both cape and helmet, or with none at all? Or one or the other"

Gohan thought for a moment, before answering, "Yeah, I would like a costume with a cape and helmet. That would look pretty cool. Also something that's flexible and easy to move in."

"Splendid. And, oh, the other thing. I need you to do me a favour," Bulma said. "While I create your costume, I need you to play with Trunks. He's been nagging me constantly about inviting you and Goten to hang out with him. You know how temperamental he can be when he doesn't get what he wants. Typical half-saiyan kids."

"Yeah, no worries. I was actually going to go see him after speaking with you anyway," Gohan said. "Where is he, by the way?"

"He's probably finishing up his training in the Gravity Chamber with Vegeta." Bulma answered.

Gohan's eyes widened in surprise, "Hold on, Vegeta's already training him in the Gravity Chamber? Isn't he only seven years old?"

"Come on kid, you know Vegeta as well as I do. Ever since Trunks has been able to walk, Vegeta's been training him to fight. He's very much intent of having Trunks become stronger than you."

"Oh, huh, imagine that." Gohan said, chuckling nervously.

 _Who knows? With how lax I've been with my martial arts training, Trunks probably could surpass my current level! That'd be kinda embarrassing. Maybe...maybe I should resume my martial arts training again, even if it's only on a periodical basis._

Gohan left Bulma in the Workshop and headed towards the Gravity Chamber, taking an elevator to the second level of the building. As soon as the half-saiyan neared the entrance to the room, the door to the Gravity Chamber opened. Emerging from the room, visibly exhausted and with a face soaked with sweat, was a short boy with lavender-blue hair and light blue eyes. Although Trunks Brief had inherited his mother's colouring, there was no doubt that he was his Vegeta's son, as the two sharing the same sharp facial features, eye shape and naturally tanned skin. The resemblance between the pair was almost uncanny. Trunks was wearing a dark green gi, an orange belt, orange wristbands and golden boots.

Immediately upon exiting the Gravity Chamber, Trunks noticed Gohan waiting for him, and offered the older half-saiyan a warm smile, "Hey Gohan."

"Good to see you, Trunks," Gohan said, smiling as the door to the chamber closed behind the son of Vegeta and Bulma. "How you been buddy?"

"Pretty good. Mom bought me a few hundred new videogames for me to play. She's also hired several tutors to help with me with my studies. It's so boring and lame, but I'm just happy I don't have to go to school like the other kids my age. Dad's been making me train with him both in the early morning and the afternoon. He's been nonstop lately," Trunks gave him a toothy grin. "He wants me to be stronger than Goten and even you."

Trunks tilted his head to the right, trying to look behind Gohan, "Is Goten here as well?"

"No, sport, he isn't. Sorry," Gohan said, causing Trunk's smile to slip. "I'll make sure to bring him next time."

"Awesome," Trunks said. "Oh, and mom told me that you got accepted into some hero academia called U.A. High, all the way in Musutafu City. Apparently you're gonna be some big shot pro hero one day."

"That's the idea." Gohan said, placing his hands on his hips as Trunks yawned. "I start school in April. And in three years time, I'll be recognised as a pro hero."

"I don't understand why people are so obsessed with pro heroes. They're not even that special. I see these costumed people on the news like that guy All Might or that girl Mt. Lady and think that my dad could seriously kick their behinds in a fight. I think even Goten is stronger than all those guys combined," Trunks said. "They act like what they do is so special, yet they're so weak and puny. Same with those villains they fight. Seriously, the whole thing just confuses me. Dad seriously hates seeing people like All Might and Endeavour on the news all the time."

As if on cue, the door to the Gravity Chamber once again opened. With a towel wrapped his neck, the Saiyan Prince Vegeta walked out of the room, with a deep scowl on his face. Vegeta was a man of below-average height, standing at least three or four inches below Gohan, with a slim yet very muscular and well-made frame. His jet-black hair stood firmly upward, with a prominent widows peak, while his black eyes held a perpetual sternness to them. He currently wore a blue tank-top and baggy white pants.

Vegeta stopped directly behind Trunks, and regarded Gohan coolly, "Oh, it's _you_."

"Nice to see you too, Vegeta," Gohan muttered, before flashing him a smile. "Uh, good afternoon. You look like you had a nice training session."

"Yes, unlike you," Vegeta smirked. "Have you finally come to your senses about resuming your training? Have you finally begun to act like a true Saiyan warrior? Or are you still cowing like a pathetic weakling behind that harpy of a woman you call a mother."

"Actually, I came to speak to Bulma about designing a Hero Costume," Gohan said, ignoring the older man's insults. "I'm going to U.A. High School."

"Yes, the woman told me about that. Huh, as if I care about that ridiculous farce of a school all these humans worship. Bah, these so-called heroes are nothing more than silly little men and women wearing outrageous spandex tights and pretending to be powerful," Vegeta's glowered at Gohan. "You should be training your body instead of being a hero, boy. A true warrior should be ready, even in times of peace. Come. How about a little spar in the Gravity Chamber? While you have been hitting the books and playing that silly golden-haired warrior, I'll show you how powerful I've become."

"Um, maybe some other time, Vegeta."

"Disappointing, but just as I expected. You may have been more powerful than me during your battle with Cell, but I believe I have closed that gap considerably," Vegeta placed a hand on Trunks' shoulder. "Look at the boy in front of you, Trunks. See how soft and weak he has become. If you ever become like him, I'll make sure to disown you."

With that, Vegeta gave the eldest son of his deceased rival one final glare, before heading off in the direction of his quarters, leaving Trunks and Gohan alone

Trunks frowned, and shot Gohan an apologetic look, "Sorry about that Gohan, Dad can be...well, you know..."

Gohan waved his hand dismissively. "Don't worry about it, Trunks. I'm used to it. Besides, that was your dad being nice. If only you knew some of the things he did when I was your age, you would..."

Gohan trailed off, realising what he had just said as the younger boy looked at him in confusion. "What are you talking about? What things?"

 _Oh crap! Bulma made all the Z-Fighters promise not to tell Trunks about his Vegeta's evil past. I can't burden him with that knowledge._

"Oh, uh, um, it's nothing!" Gohan said quickly, nervously chuckling. "Hey! You said you bought some new videogames. Mind showing me them?"

At that, Trunks's blue eyes bulged with happiness, forgetting about his question. "Yeah, absolutely. Come on! Let's go to my room. After I shower, I'll show you! I've got some seriously cool ones."

* * *

Following several hours of playing videogames in Trunks bedroom, the sun had begun to set as the evening took hold. Gohan and the lavender-haired boy went downstairs to Bulma's workshop, where the CEO of Capsule Corporation was waiting for them.

"Hey you guys." Bulma greeted them. Gohan noticed that the older woman had changed into a sleeveless black dress and high-heels, holding a cigarette in one hand. In her other hand, she was holding a watch. She was standing near a tall mirror.

"Gohan, I've readied your hero costume," Bulma said, as the pair neared her. "Trust me, you're gonna love it."

"Awesome," Gohan looked around the room. "Where is it?"

"Here it is." Bulma offered the watch for Gohan to take.

Gohan stared at the object in confusion. It was a simple digital watch, with light grey metal links and a basic grey interface, with both a grey and red button on the side. "Isn't that...isn't that just a watch?"

Bulma sighed, rolling her eyes at Gohan, "No, it's not just a watch, silly. Now, quickly put it on and press the red button."

Gohan took the watch and fastened it around his right wrist. He clicked the red button. Immediately, a yellow light sparked out of the watch and spread across Gohan's body. The vision of the half-saiyan slightly darkened as his entire head was enclosed by a form of headgear, while he felt a faint pressure being applied to his clothes, weighing them down ever so slightly.

" _Wait, what happened_?" Gohan asked, frowning. His voice, though slightly muffled by the headgear, rang with a more metallic and hollow sound to it.

Bulma grinned, "Look into the mirror and see."

Gohan walked towards the mirror, and upon seeing his reflection, took a deep breath. Staring back at him was a man wearing a dark green gi with a black, kevlar-enforced bodysuit worn underneath, as well as white boots and gloves. Flowing behind him was a red cape, fastened to his shoulders with a large golden button. Across his waist was a golden utility belt, the waistline consisting of six pockets. However, what caught Gohan's attention the most was his helmet. It was an orange-and-black helmet that covered his entire face, strapped at the bottom with a black chin-guard. The helmet itself adorned with its sides with matching pair of small green wings. The white optic lenses of the costume's helmet seemed to modelled after camera shutters, following his eye movements with pinpoint precision. As Gohan squinted his eyes, they matched by closing in; when he widened his dark eyes, they broadened out in response.

" _Bulma, this...this is incredible!_ ** _"_** Gohan said, spinning around to look at himself from the back. " _This is seriously amazing!"_

"I knew you would like it," Bulma said, smiling. "How does it fit?"

Gohan quickly moved his arms and feet, walking around the workshop in order to test out his movement. He was deeply satisfied with how comfortable it felt to move in.

The half-saiyan gave Bulma a thumbs-up, " _It's a super fit, Bulma!_ "

"Wow, mom, that looks really cool," Trunks said, gaping excitedly at the costume."I mean, the rest of the costume looks kinda dorky, but the eye lenses give the costume such a badass vibe. Can you make me one?"

"When you're older, son." Bulma replied, before looking back at Gohan. "Hey kid, I've also added several extra features to the costumes that I think you'll really like. I implanted an advanced augmented reality display system in your lenses, as well as the ability to switch your visuals to a different to a different spectrum, essentially granting you X-Ray Vision. For the former, just say the word "HUD-Command" and for the latter, the world "X-Ray-Command". There's also an in-built communication system, allowing you to accept cellular and video calls. You can also automatically link your comms to another communication device via bluetooth.

"That's not all. The bodysuit has an in-built heating system that will keep you warm no matter what. The heater is powerful enough to instantly dry up your suit, even if you've been submerged in water. So if you accidentally get thrown into a lake, you won't have to worry about freezing. Oh, and the final thing? You can digitally alter your voice through a highly advanced voice adapter that makes your voice sound all deep and distorted. If you want to deepen your voice, just say the command-words "Voice-Command"."

Gohan was overwhelmed with what he was hearing. He could not believe that Bulma had done all this for him. All he had requested was a Hero Costume, not state of the art piece of technology. " _Wow, Bulma, I don't know what to say. Thank you so much._ ** _"_**

"You're welcome, Gohan," Bulma winked at him. "Consider is a thank-you gift for defeating Cell all those years ago."

" _Are you actually going to standardise this level of craftsmanship for all the other hero costumes?_ " Gohan asked, as he continued to admire his suit.

Bulma scoffed, "No, I'm leaving the design of Hero Costumes to my employees. I doubt any of them wish to depart from the specifications sent in by the students - even if those modifications will improve the suits - out of fear of invoking complaints. I'm not even supposed to have any involvement with the development of the Hero Costumes. I'm just doing this as a favour for a friend. Although, please tell me the look on your classmates faces when they see you in the costume. I want you to look like the coolest hero around, Gohan. Anyway, just try out the in-built features now, and once you're comfortable with everything, I'll have it sent off to be stored at U.A."

Gohan placed his gloved hands on hips, staring confidently at his reflection. With the creation of his Hero Costume, he was one step closer to being a true hero.

* * *

 **Mount Paozu (East District)**

April had arrived, bringing with it the blossoming season of spring. In many Japanese children and teenagers, the new academic year had begun. For Son Gohan, today was the day that his high school career would commence. Following years of homeschooling, it would also be his first official day in attendance at an educational system. It was safe to say that Gohan was very excited - and somewhat nervous - at the prospect of attending high school.

Gohan had woken up at 6:00 AM in order to eat a sufficient breakfast. His mother had cooked him a variety of his favourite foods: miso shiru, natto, tamago kake gohan, raw egg with steamed rice and grilled fish, to name a few. Once he had finished devouring his breakfast meal, he had gone back to his room in order to get changed.

Having finished putting on his uniform, Gohan took several minutes to admire himself in the mirror. The U.A. High School male uniform consisted of a light grey blazer with dark turquoise trimmings, over a white dress shirt and dark dress pants. His feet were covered with black, lace-up leather shoes. Gohan noticed that his red tie was slightly crooked; he made sure to fix it, recalling what his mother had taught him about properly tying his tie.

The sight of himself in the school uniform brought a smile in face. He thought that he looked quite nice.

"Oh, Gohan, you look so handsome in that uniform," Standing in the doorway to his bedroom was his mother, who was gazing at him fondly. "The formal look suits you so well, sweetie."

"Thanks, mom. I'm really excited about today. I hope I can make everyone - our family and friends - proud," Gohan smiled, and looked up at the ceiling of his room.

 _Dad, I know you're out there somewhere in Other World. I hope...no I know you're watching me wherever you are. Wish me luck, okay?_

* * *

 **Musutafu City**

After saying goodbye to his mother and younger brother, Gohan had boarded Flying Nimbus and departed Mount Paozu at 6:50 AM. Zooming through the clouded sky on the magical yellow cloud, Gohan spent most of the journey with his eyes closed, taking in the cool spring breeze as he rested his eyes.

Within 30 minutes, the half-saiyan had arrived at Musutafu. The morning sun basked the city landscape with gleaming rays of sunlight, giving the city a very welcoming and warm appearance. Directing Nimbus to the familiar alleyway, the Nimbus lowered itself on the rooftop of a building overseeing the passageway. The steps he taking to hide his method of transportation gave the half-saiyan a serious case of deja vu, as he remembered the journey he had undertaken to arrive at U.A. for the Entrance Exam. After dismissing the cloud, Gohan floated down to the alleyway and entered into the street, which was thankfully bustling with people. This allowed Gohan to blend in seamlessly with the crowd.

After ten minutes of walking, Gohan eventually neared the entrance of U.A. High School, as students wearing a similar attire to him walked through the entrance . Almost nothing had changed about the school since the last time.

"Hey, Gohan! Over here!" Gohan heard someone call his name. He scanned the entrance and spotted the person leaning against the walls that surrounded the school, smiling as he closed the distance between them.

"Hey Izuku," Gohan patted him on the back in greeting, flashing him a warm smile. "It's been a while since I last saw you. You just as nervous as I am?"

"I can guarantee that I am definitely, _definitely_ more nervous than you are," Izuku looked over Gohan's uniform. "That uniform looks really good on you, Gohan."

"Thanks man. It looks great on you too." Gohan responded sincerely. The only difference between Gohan and Izuku's uniform was that the green-haired teenager wore oversized red boots with thick white soles, laced up to the top. The U.A. uniform looked much better on him than that black gakuran uniform had. The only thing amiss about Izuku's attire was that his red tie wasn't done properly, making it appear shorter than it actually was.

"Hey, man, um, I don't mean this is a wrong way or anything, but your tie...you know it's crooked, right?" Gohan pointed out.

Izuku looked down at his tie with a sheepish look on his face, "Oh, um, I...this is so embarrassing to admit, but I don't know how to tie my necktie. I know, I'm fifteen and I don't know how to do an incredibly basic thing. It's just-"

"Don't worry man," Gohan grinned at him. "I can teach you after school if you want. My mom basically drilled me on how to properly do my tie."

Izuku looked up at him with a hopeful expression. "You'd really do that? For me?"

"Yeah, of course. It's nothing. It literally only takes five minutes."

"Wow, thanks Gohan!" Izuku smiled at the half-saiyan, bowing his head in gratitude. Izuku then gripped the straps of his backpack. "You ready to enter our first day of high-school?"

"As ready as I'll ever be."

The two walked through the entrance and began walking down the orange-bricked pathway, conversing with each other. Gohan and Izuku had kept in touch since the delivery of the Entrance Exam results. Gohan had learnt about what happened in Battle Centre B: Izuku had saved Ochaco Uraraka from the zero-pointer, though had been forced to sacrifice his right arm to do so. Thankfully, the school nurse - a pro hero known as Recovery Girl - had healed his injuries sufficiently enough that he had been able to take the written exam with no issue. Upon receiving an email detailing their official enrolment at U.A., the two had been extremely excited to discover that they were in the same homeroom: Class 1-A.

"I just hope Kacchan isn't in our class," Izuku told Gohan, as they walked up the marble stairs. "If he...if he is in Class 1-A, Kami knows how'll he react when he sees me. Even you...once he finds out that you were the one to beat him for first place, he's definitely going to be upset. Especially since you broke the points-record."

"Oh, well, let's hope he isn't in our class then," Gohan responded with a weak grin. "I gotta admit, I didn't think much of this Bakugo guy before the exam, but the fact he was about to score 77 Villain-Points is really impressive. He really must be a pretty powerful guy."

"Yeah, he is. Despite his aggressive and arrogance, it isn't just talk. He bites just as well as he barks," Izuku said softly, before quietly looking towards the floor. "Kacchan...despite whatever people may think, I admire the fact that he's a really driven person. He knows what he wants, and is willing to do anything to get it. I wish...I wish I had his confidence. But here I am, a bumbling mess."

"Hey, don't worry, Izuku. You're gonna be fine," Gohan placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder. "You got into U.A. right? You're already halfway to becoming a hero. Don't be so down on yourself."

"I try not too, but it just happens that way. I have to keep working on my self-esteem, I guess."

The pair eventually found their homeroom, finding themselves standing in front of an enormous sliding door, at least several feet higher than either of them. Painted in red on the wooden door was "1-A".

"Uh, this is the large door." Gohan observed.

"It's probably for accessibility. There's a huge variety of Quirks out there, especially in Japan alone. So they have to consider every possible Quirk, even those related to gigantism." Izuku told him.

"That's definitely true," Gohan drew in a deep breath, before looking at Izuku. "Well, you ready to meet our new classmates?"

Izuku nodded, seemingly bracing himself for disappointment.

Unfournately for the pair, upon entering their homeroom, the two were immediately met with the sight of two familiar-looking students heatedly arguing with other.

"I will not repeat myself any longer: take your feet off the table! It is only the first day and you are disrespecting school property, you cretin!" A tall, dark-haired teenager with glasses shouted. Gohan recognised him from Present Mic's presentation; he had been the one to ask the question concerning the fourth villain-bot. He had also been the one to embarrass Izuku in front of the examinees.

Resting his feet on his table, Katsuki Bakugo scowled at the dark-haired boy, "You're kidding me right? Your old school stick a huge pole up your ass or what, four-eyes, or were you just born with it?"

"Damnit, I can't catch a break!" Gohan heard Izuku whimper next to him.

The dark-haired individual placed hand over his chest. ""Let's start over. I'm Tenya Iida from the Somei Private Academy."

"Somei huh?" Bakugo growled at the teenager known as Tenya Iida. "You think you're better than me because you went to a prestigious school? Does it look like I give a shit about what you think of me, four-eyes? I'm gonna enjoy tearin' you-"

"HOLY CRAP!" A very small boy with four purple-and-black balls on his head stood up from his seat and pointed in the direction of Gohan and Izuku, interrupting the confrontation between Bakugo and Iida. "THAT'S HIM! THAT'S THE GUY WHO BROKE THE POINTS RECORD! THAT'S JAPANESE SUPERMAN!"

The entire class - including Katsuki Bakugo and Tenya Iida - turned their heads in stunned silence to look towards the doorway, where Gohan and Izuku were helplessly standing. Gohan recognised the grape-headed teenager who had indicated his presence to the classroom: he had been the person whom Gohan had saved from the zero-pointer. It was at that this uncomfortable, awkward moment that Gohan realised that both Izuku and him were among the final remaining students to not be seated in Class 1-A.

The twenty seats situated in the small classroom were in rows of four and in columns of five. Three of the seats were unoccupied. Gohan, whose seat number was number ten, realised that he was sitting behind a very muscular, brown-haired boy with a wide build and very full lips. His seat was in the final row, with the one to his right remaining unoccupied. However, to his left was a thick-haired, serious-looking teenager whose bangs were parted twice. Gohan noted curiously that the boy's hair was evenly split down the middle of his head, with the right side being bright white, and his left-side a crimson-magenta.

The eyes of all eighteen students rested on him, overwhelming him with rapt attention, Gohan immediately became self-conscious, feeling himself fidget with his fingers and feet.

"Uh, um hello everyone. Pleasure to meet you all." Gohan quietly greeted them.

"OH, IT IS YOU!" An enthused teenager with orange-yellow hair streaked with a black lightning bolt also stood up. "Dude, I was in your battle centre. I saw you in action - you were absolutely amazing!"

"Yeah, you were so freaking awesome!" A pink-skinned girl with square-black eyes and unruly, fluffy short hair leapt from her seat, making her way to stand in front of Gohan and Izuku. "The way you blasted all those robots with your energy blasts, and zipped and flew around the city one-punch killing those bots, it was so cool! You are such a badass!"

"Wait, you can fly? And you can shoot energy blasts. And you have super strength and super speed? Just what kind of Quirk do you have?" Izuku whispered to him.

"Wait, hold on one sec. You're the guy who scored 150 points in the Entrance Exam? You were the guy ranked above me?" The entire class nervously turned their heads to look in the direction of Katsuki Bakugo, whose voice was rising with every world he spoke. The ash-blonde, scruffy looking teenager was glaring daggers at Gohan, his red eyes blazing with fury. "You look like a weak LOSER! YOU MUST HAVE CHEATED SOMEHOW. YOU AND DEKU BOTH! HOW CAN A DAMN FUCKING NERD LIKE YOU BEAT ME?"

 _Well, Izuku was right about one thing: he's definitely upset._

Mina looked back at the fiery ash-blonde teenager, raising her voice as she said, "He didn't cheat! I saw it with my own eyes. He was so wickedly cool! Just like that grape-headed guy said, he was totally like Japanese Superman!"

"I have a name you know!" The short, grape-headed teenager shouted.

"Quiet down everyone! Sit back in your seats. We must keep order in the class! And you," Tenya Iida pointed at Bakugo, "That is no way to talk to one of your classmates, especially someone who has achieved such distinguished results. You should be congratulating him on his marks, not accusing him of foul play!" Tenya Iida scolded Bakugo, waving his hands in a robotic motion. Miraculously, Iida's words seemed to suddenly have an impact on the raging Bakugo, who quieted down and began sulking in his seat.

 _What in Dende's name is happening?_ Gohan wondered, as everyone in the class turned back to stare at Gohan. _Damnit, I_ _should have been more careful during the Entrance Exam. In the heat of the moment, I let myself get carried away. I should have just stuck to my original points limit. That way, no one would be bothered to pay any attention to me._

Tenya Iida shifted his attention towards the two individuals standing in the doorframe. He jogged to them, and bowed, "Allow me to introduce myself properly. I am Iida Tenya. I am from Somei Private Academy."

"Oh, and I'm Ashido Mina!" The bubbly pink-skinned pointed at herself, before waving at them. "Pleasure to meet you guys!"

Gohan and Izuku greeted the two. As Mina went back to take her seat, Tenya straightened himself and fixed his glasses, staring at Gohan intently, "I must congratulate you on your excellent results, Son. Not only did you rank first in the Entrance Exam, you also broke the record held by All Might for the most points scored. It pleases me greatly that someone with your obvious talent is apart of our classroom. You must have an incredible Quirk. Both you and Midoriya also tied for the most Rescue Points scored in the exam. You both must have realised there was something more to the practical exam, correct?"

Tenya looked at Izuku, and began to once again move his hands in a robotic manner. His face had what seemed like a pained grimace. "I must admit that I misjudged you, Midoriya. Both Son and you are clearly far better students than me."

Neither Gohan or Izuku knew what to say to that. This whole situation was causing quite the commotion. Neither Gohan and Izuku had truly expected this much attention to be levelled towards them, especially upon their first footsteps into class.

"Hey, I know you guys!" A bright and chipper voice called from behind them. "You're the falling boy with the green-hair - Midoriya right? And you're Son, the guy who came first in the Entrance Exam!"

Gohan and Izuku turned around and found themselves face-to-face with the familiar sight of a pretty, petite brown-haired girl. If Gohan remembered correctly, he name was Ochaco Uraraka. Based on the seating arrangement, she was the last member of their class. The girl had not changed much from the last time Gohan had seen her, except that she was wearing the female version of the school uniform. Unlike the other girls in their class, however, Ochaco wore black leggings instead of knee-high socks. Gohan couldn't help but admit that she looked quite nice in the uniform.

Gohan, Izuku and Tenya moved out of the way to allow her inside the classroom.

"Hey Izuku, you passed the exam just like Present Mic said you would. Congratulations!" Ochaco exclaimed cheerfully, smiling at the green-haired boy. "Oh, and that punch you did against the zero-pointer was totally awesome!"

At that, Ochaco imitated an uppercut, clearly demonstrating what must have been Izuku's attack. Amused, Gohan glanced at Izuku, and was not surprised to find the green-haired boy struggling to speak. His face was completely bright red, the words he was muttering completely incoherent and nonsensical.

 _Man, and I thought I was bad with girls. At least I can talk to them._ Gohan thought to himself. _At least she's already taken a liking towards Izuku. I hope he at least develops the willpower to talk to her._

Ochaco turned her head to look directly at Gohan, the cheeriness in her eyes distracting him from his thoughts. "So, Gohan, congrats on ranking number one. You must have a pretty awesome Quirk to have gotten 150 points. What do you think we're doing today besides orientation? I can't wait to find out who are teachers are. It's gonna be awesome to get to know all our classmates!"

"Oh, uh yeah, it's going to be great." Gohan replied. _This girl is so exuberant and happy. She like a bundle of energy and enthusiasm. And she seems so nice._

"I saw that you came fourth place in the Entrance Exam. I should be congratulating you as well for doing so well. Your score was quite impressive." Gohan continued, smiling at her.

Ochaco blushed at Gohan's compliment, her face completely reddening. Before she could respond, she was interrupted by a dry voice from behind them.

"If you're just here to make friends, you can pack up your stuff and leave now."

Gohan, Izuku, Tenya and Ochaco looked behind them and were startled to find a man lying on the floor with a yellow sleeping bag zipped up to his chin, messy black hair falling over a pale, dreary-looking face.

"Welcome to U.A.'s hero course." The man began to unzip his sleeping bag, revealing his ragged black outfit to them, a large scarf drapped around his neck. He was a tall, slender man with messy shoulder-length black hair that partially hung in front of his face, while his dark, tired eyes were half-open. He was quite pale. With his worn out appearance and unkempt facial hair, to Gohan, the man looked like had just rolled out of bed.

 _What's the deal with this guy? Is he our homeroom teacher?_

"It took way too long for you all to shut up. That's not going to work. Time is precious. Rational students would clearly understand that.

The dark-haired man tilted his head towards the rest of the class, "Hello everyone I'm Shota Aizawa. I'm your homeroom teacher."

The entire class let out a gasp of surprise.

 _He doesn't even look ready to brush his teeth, let alone teach._ Gohan thought. _Mom would kill me if I carried myself like this._

Shota Aizawa reached into the sleeping back and pulled out a blue tracksuit stripped with red and white. "Now, I want you all to put these on and head on outside."

* * *

 **U.A. High School**

Although confused by the instruction of their homeroom teacher, Class 1-A changed into their tracksuits and followed Shota Aizawa to a large athletic field between the main building and a building that appeared to be a gymnasium. The walk was plagued with complete silence; everyone was either too nervous or too confused to introduce themselves to each other. Gohan walked between Izuku and Ochaco with a lowered head. In spite of the silence, the half-saiyan could sense several pairs of eyes watching him, seemingly examining and scrutinising his every move. Although he could not see whom, Gohan could make a guess as to the people staring at him. He was almost certain ash-blonde boy was one of them.

Their homeroom teacher stopped them by the side of the field, turning his back towards them. "For your first day at U.A. High School, you will also be subjected to a quirk apprehension test."

"What? A Quirk Apprehension test?" Class 1-A asked in unison, looking to each other in surprise.

"But...aren't we going to miss orientation?" Ochaco questioned, her round chocolate-brown eyes widening in confusion.

"Listen, if you really wanna make the big leagues, you can't waste time on pointless ceremonies," Shota said. Much of the class were shocked by his statement.

"Here at U.A., we are not tethered to traditional schooling," Shota turned his head slightly to the side, regarding them neutrally. "That means I get to run my class however I see fit."

Shota turned to face them fully, and brought their attention to a smartphone held in his hand. Gohan squinted his eyes at the phone, trying to make out what was written on the screen. It seemed to be a list of the activities they would be doing for the Quirk Apprehension Test.

"You lot have taken standardised tests for most of your lives. But you never got to use your Quirks in physical exams. The country's trying to pretend that we're all created equal by not letting those with the most power excel. It's not rational. Six years ago, this way of thinking didn't help those heroes who died trying to defeat Cell. It took a non-hero to defeat that monster - someone who didn't even attend a hero academia. One day, the Ministry of Education will learn that miraculous resurrections don't simply fall out of the sky. At U.A., we push our students to the very limit of their power, and have them break and surpass those limits. That is the U.A. way, and it's why we're the top-ranked academia in Japan."

Shota Aizawa looked directly at Gohan. "Son, step forward."

Although caught off guard, Gohan did as his teacher instructed.

"Son, you managed to get the most points in the Entrance Exam. You even broke the all-time record set by All Might himself," Shota said, narrowing his eyes at him. "What was your farthest distance throw with a softball in junior high?"

"Um...I've been homeschooled my entire life, sir, so I have no idea." Gohan admitted.

At that, Gohan heard several people gasp from behind him.

"What the heck, he outscored us all and he's never even gone to school before? Who the hell is this guy? And imagine U.A. being the first school you ever attend." A male voice whispered.

"Poor guy. He's never been to school in his life, yet he is getting called out in front of the entire class on his first day. If I were him, I would be sweating in my boots." Another voice, this time female, whispered back.

"Who the hell names their kid after food?" Someone else wondered aloud.

Shota did not seem surprised by this revelation. "Fine. Seeing as you topped both the written and practical portions of the Entrance Exam, it doesn't really matter where you came from anyway."

Shota reached into his pocket and pulled out a small capsule box. Opening it, he took out a green DynoCap, clicked on the top and threw it to the ground, causing a small popping sound as smoke appeared. As the smoke cleared, the capsule was revealed to have held a large wooden box filled with green softballs.

Shota took one of the softballs from the box and threw it to Gohan, who instinctively caught it. "Now, Son, I want you to use your Quirk to throw the ball. Anything goes. Throw it as hard as you can. Just stay in the circle, and don't waste our time."

"Yes sir." Gohan's thoughts were racing as he stepped into the circle.

 _Even in my base form, throwing this ball at my full power is bound to cause problems - and raise some more questions. I'm gonna have to hold back by a lot. Just a nice, simple throw, just enough to make people think I'm trying. Don't overdo it, Gohan._

As Gohan did some light stretches, Izuku and the rest of Class 1-A watched their classmate curiously. Despite considering Gohan a friend, the green-haired boy had no idea as to what Gohan's Quirk was, other than the fact that it was quite powerful. From what he had heard in class, Gohan was strong enough to destroy the villain-robots with a single punch; fast enough to cover distances in mere seconds. He even had the ability to fly and shoot energy beams out of his hand.

 _What kind of Quirk allows him to do all that? Besides possibly One For All, I don't think a single Quirk could possibly hold that much power. He must be the product of a Quirk Marriage._

Meanwhile, Katsuki Bakugo glared at the dark-haired boy preparing for his pitch. Despite his silence, Katsuki was internally fuming. He could not believe that this was the guy who had beaten him in the Entrance Exam. Despite his tall and muscular frame, Son just carried himself in a way that made it obvious that he was a socially awkward bookworm. There was no way this guy held enough power to score 150 points.

 _He cheated the exam somehow. I remember Deku and him were chummy outside the entrance. Those fuckers must have conspired together to rig the exam. How else could both these nerdy extras get into U.A.?_

Despite his anger, Katsuki grinned to himself. He was confident that guy wasn't going to score anymore than 50 metres.

"Hurry up, Son, we don't have all day." Shota chided, waiting for Gohan to throw.

"Right, uh, sorry sir." Gohan took position and slowly pulled his arm back. He was about to throw until a sudden thought crossed his mind. Why was he attempting to hold back? He wasn't at a regular high-school like Orange Star High - he was a student at a hero academia. He was surrounded by super-powered people just like himself. As long as he didn't hurt anyone in the process, there was really no excuse hide his powers. Well, at least any power that didn't involve his Super Saiyan transformation. That was off-limits.

"Son, you're seriously testing my patience. Unless you want to-"

Taking a deep breath, Gohan wound his right arm back once more and gently flared his _ki_ , channeling a small portion of his life energy into his the palm of his hand, before heaving the ball forward, launching the object into the air.

BOOOM! The shockwaves triggered from the considerable force placed behind the ball created a miniature sonic boom, the loud and startling sound crackling through the athletics field like the clap of thunder. The gust of wind generated from the pitch threw a sudden burst of dust and dirt behind Gohan, instinctively making his classmates recoil and cover their eyes with their arms.

The ball travelled through the air at supersonic speed, soaring into the sky. Within seconds, it was out of sight.

Gohan turned to Aizawa, who was staring at him with widened eyes. Gohan gave his homeroom teacher an awkward smile, placing a hand on the back of his neck. "Um, was that alright, sir, or do you want me to go again?"

After a few seconds of silence, Aizawa regained his composure and shook his head, "No, that was...that was fine."

The half-saiyan glanced behind him. Gohan's classmates were staring at him dumbfounded, bewildered by what they had just seen. Even Katsuki Bakugo was speechless, gawking at him. Izuku in particular seemed to be ogling him, his eyes goggled and his tongue hung out.

Shota turned to the rest of Class 1-A, "Know your maximum first. Everyone here must have a full grasp of their abilities. It's the only logical way to figure out your potential."

Shota brought up his phone and showed it to the class, displaying the distance Gohan's ball had travelled.

"Holy shit! 160,000 metres? That's probably sent the ball all the way to the end of the city! Grape-head was right! This guy _is_ freakin' Japanese Superman! He's so _manly_!" The spiky, redheaded boy exclaimed.

"Wow, Gohan's so awesome!' Ochaco burst out.

"He must have broken the sound barrier with that throw. That's so cool!'" A girl who appeared to have an invisible body cried out.

"I told you guys that he was so powerful This looks like a blast! I wanna have a go!" Mina Ashido said, grinning wildly.

"I doubt any of us can beat that, but having the opportunity to use our Quirks is gonna be really fun!" A boy with elbows shaped like cylindrical tape dispensers shouted out.

"Oh, you think this is fun, do you?" Shota Aizawa coldly muttered to the boy with the strange elbows. "You have three years here to become professional heroes. Do you all think it's gonna be fun and games?"

Much to their confusion, Shota grinned at the class. "You'll all be competing in eight physical tests to gauge your potential. After these tests are complete, whoever comes last will be deemed to have no potential...and will be immediately expelled!"

Gohan and the rest of Class 1-A were completely taken aback by this announcement. It was their first day of school, and already the entire class was facing the prospect of expulsion if they did not perform to Shota's standards.

"But...that's not right!" Ochaco said, stamping her foot to the ground. "You can't just expel us on the first day of school. Everyone has here worked really hard to get into U.A. That's...that's just not unfair!"

"Oh, and do you think it's fair that selfish villains like Cell can massacre millions at his own folly, sending everyone into mass hysteria and causing worldwide mayhem?" Shota asked. "Do you think it's fair that monsters like him can wipe out entire cities in seconds? Is it fair that natural disasters and catastrophic accidents claim the lives of thousands upon thousands of civilians each day?"

Shota furrowed his eyebrows. "The world - and especially Japan - is filled with unfairness. No matter what people may tell you, there is nothing in this world that can predict when the next colossal calamity occur. Try as we might to prevent terrible things from happening, there is always something or someone out there to stop us. The sooner you all understand this, the better. We must be vigilant and attentive. It is the job of a hero to combat this unfairness as best he or she can."

Despite the harshness of his tone, Gohan had to admit that their homeroom teacher had a point. Gohan and the rest of the Z-Fighters had faced several terrifying villains. Nappa, the Ginyu Force, Frieza, Garlic Jr., Cooler, Dr Gero, and of course, Cell. At one time, even Vegeta had been their enemy. None of these villains could be taken lightly. These foes had committed numerous atrocities that had taken many innocent lives. Gohan had seen firsthand the cruelty and barbarity of these villains. He had even experienced their cruelty himself. Although the Z-Fighters had the dragonballs to help reverse these wicked transgressions, the wish-fulfilling orbs could not always save everyone. Nor could they stop future villains from arising.

 _Aizawa kinda reminds me of Piccolo. They have that same pragmatic, cynical and intense outlook on life. He seems less harsh than Piccolo though. He's just being realistic with us. Huh, I wonder what Piccolo would think of this Quirk Apprehension Test._ Gohan had a strong feeling that his Namekian friend would approve of their homeroom teacher's methods.

Shota smiled evilly at Class 1-A, making him look like a psychopath. "Like I said, I get to decide how I run this classroom. Understand? If that's a problem, then you can just pack up and leave."

Gohan took this moment to jog back to where he had previously been standing. Immediately, he noticed that an unnerved Izuku was gazing at the floor, clearing distraught by what Shota had told them.

Gohan placed a hand on his green-haired friend's shoulder, "Hey, Izuku, you alright?"

"Uh, I dunno. I don't...I don't really have a good grasp on my Quirk yet. I...I don't know what I'm going to do. I can't get expelled. I worked so hard to get here." Izuku whispered, his voice quivering.

Izuku turned to look at Gohan. Despite the frightened look in his green eyes, he tried to smile, "Gohan, that was an amazing throw. I...I can't believe it. You're so powerful. No wonder you broke the record. You're probably gonna breeze right through this test. Me on the other hand, I'm-"

Gohan patted his friend on the back, giving him a reassuring smile. "Hey, remember what I said before school started? Stop being so hard on yourself. You're definitely not going to pass the test with your current attitude. You just have to try your hardest, Izuku."

"Of course I'm gonna try my hardest," Izuku sullenly lowered his head. "I just...at my current level, I just don't think my hardest is enough."

Izuku looked up with a more confident expression. Even though he was slightly trembling, he raised his fists determinatively. "But, even then, I'm still gonna try! I have to, for my own sake."

Shota wagged his finger at them, regaining everyone's attention "If you wanna be a pro, you're gonna have to push yourself to the very brink. For the next three years, U.A. will throw one terrible hardship at you after the other. So go beyond. Plus-Ultra Style. Show me that you being here is no mistake."

* * *

 **50-Metre Dash**

Waiting in line for his turn at the 50-metre dash gave Gohan the opportunity to survey the Quirks of his classmates. Tenya Iida and a short girl with a relatively frog-like appearance were the first pair to compete. Her name was Tsuyu Asui. Tenya had pulled up the bottom of his pants to his knees to reveal incredibly thick calves; they were shaped like automobile engines, with three silver exhaust pipes protruding from each one.

Immediately after the the robotic measuring device fired the starter pistol, the two launched themselves into the race. Tenya used his Engine-type Quirk to sprint at a rather impressive speed, while the frog-girl leapt into the air, hopping across her lane. Although she scored a commendable result of 5.58 seconds, Tenya beat her with 3.04 seconds. The latter's Quirk was definitely well-suited to speed-oriented endeavours.

Next was Ochaco and a blonde-haired, serious-looking boy with a long, thick tail capped with a furry tip. Shota revealed his name to be Mashirao Ojiro. Gohan quickly realised that Ochaco's Quirk was related in some way to gravity-negation; she used her powers to eliminate the weight of her tracksuit and shoes. The brown-haired girl secured a time of 7.15 seconds, but was beaten by the tailed-blonde, who used his prehensile limb to bounce across the track. Despite losing, Ochaco did not seem to bothered, remaining cheerful and optimistic.

Following them was Mina Ashido and a French-sounding boy with a flamboyant and self-centred demeanour. His name was Yuga Aoyama. He had longish blonde hair, long eyelashes and bright indigo eyes. He looked like one of the handsome young prince in the stories Gohan would sometimes read to his brother at bedtime. Around the boy's waist was a belt with a ring-shaped buckle, which was revealed to be a device that allowed him to shoot a sparkly laser beam.

However, despite his extreme confidence, it appeared that the guy could only produce a laser for a few seconds. The navel laser stopped within a second of the race, causing him to fall to the ground midway across the track. This allowed Mina to run past him.

"5.51 seconds". The measuring device announced as Yuga crossed the finish line.

Yuga Aoyama placed his hands on his hips and looked back towards the rest of Class 1-A with an upturned smile, "Shooting my beautiful beams for more than a second hurts my tummy."

 _Well, this guy seems to be rather...uh, interesting._ Gohan thought diplomatically, though judging by the rest of his classmates' stares, they were not impressed with Aoyama's attitude.

Fate seemed to have a twisted sense of humour - the next race was between Izuku and Katsuki Bakugo. Unfournately for the green-haired boy, Bakugo used his Quirk - which allowed him to detonate explosions from his hand - to produce several small explosions behind him, propelling him across the finish line in 4.13 seconds. During his run, Izuku didn't activate his Quirk, choosing to sprint in a conventional manner. This netted him a time of 7.02 seconds.

Gohan scrunched his eyebrow as he stared at the triumphant Katsuki. Despite his crude and fiery temperament, he seemed to have a very intelligent individual, with a good grasp of his Quirk.

"Next up: Toru Hagakure and Gohan Son." Shota announced.

As he made his way to the starting line, he could feel the stares of most of the class fall on him.

Gohan glanced to his right, and found that he had been paired with the invisible girl. Gohan had never seen anyone like her before. In fact, the only thing that could possibly had identified her presence was her clothes and shoes. Gohan quickly tried to sense her power level, but found that it was too low for him to detect.

"Um, hey, Hagakure right? Good luck for the dash." Gohan said, as he readied himself.

"Oh, um, thank you. Good luck to you too, Son." The girl replied.

The other members of Class 1-A were inventively watching the matchup. Having seen a sample of his incredible power during the Ball Throw, even the likes of Katsuki Bakugo were deeply curious as to what score he would achieve.

"Runners, on your marks. Ready..." The robotic measuring device spoke, before firing the starter pistol.

Before anyone could even blink, Gohan had vanished from the starter line, seemingly disappearing into thin air. As both Shota and his students looked around to see where he had gone, the robotic measuring device announced:

"1.01 seconds."

Everyone slowly turned their heads to find Gohan standing by the finishing line, his back towards them as he watched Toru sprint down the lane. They looked at their classmate in disbelief.

"This guy...there's no freaking way," The brown-haired, muscular boy known as Rikido Sato broke the stunned silence. "How OP is this guy? He...he can _teleport_?"

"No, I don't think so. _Ribbit,_ I doubt the device would have measured his speed if he had transmitted himself to the finish line, since he wouldn't have run the track," Tsuyu Asui placed a webbed finger on her chin. "He's just incredibly fast, _ribbit_."

"How can he act so casual about it?" The orange-blonde haired boy with the black-lightning streak - who was named Denki Kaminari - wondered. "If I had a Quirk like his, I wouldn't shut up about it!"

"Son must have a body augmentation type-Quirk," Tenya suggested, quickly taking a drink from his bottle of water. "I hate to admit it, but that would explain why his strength and speed are so much higher than any of us."

"Eh, he ain't higher than me in any sense of the word," Katsuki Bakugo growled, explosions crackling in his hands. "I'll crush that nerd at this test. Just you all watch."

"9.20 seconds." The robotic device announced as the invisible girl crossed the finish-line. Toru bent her upper body down and appeared to have placed her hands on her kneecaps, panting with exhaustion.

"You're Quirk is absolutely amazing." The girl said to Gohan in between breaths.

He grinned in response. "Thanks. You have a pretty cool Quirk too."

* * *

 **Grip Test**

The grip test saw Class 1-A grasp a hand-held device that would read the force their grip in kilograms.

"Wow, 540 kilograms? That's awesome man! That's like 100 more than mine." The redheaded boy known as Eijiro Kirishima told an individual known as Mezo Shoji. Shoji had a rather interesting appearance; he stood over six-feet, with pale grey hair swept forward, covering most of his face. His elongated face was covered by a blue mask. However, what caught everyone's attention was the fact that he had six arms, all attached to each other by a web of skin.

"Kami, you actually broke the device!" Behind them came the voice of Ochaco Uraraka

Eijiro and Mezo turned around and found the gaping Ochaco pointing at Gohan Son, who was holding the destroyed remains of the grip-device. The electric sparks of the broken device danced around the hands of their classmate.

Izuku, who had only scored 56.0 kilograms, stared at Gohan incredulously. His dark-haired friend was simply staring at the device, seemingly unfazed by what he had just done.

Unbeknownst to everyone, Shota Aizawa was staring at Gohan, his beady eyes regarding him with a deep curiosity.

* * *

 **Standing Long Jump**

The next exercise tasked Class 1-A to use their Quirks to clear a large sandbox designed for a standing long jump. Individuals such as Aoyama and Bakugo utilised their Quirks in a manner that granted them a great advantage in the exercise. Gohan himself cleared the sandbox with ease, using his ability to fly to temporarily hover over the sandbox. Most of the other members of their class used their Quirks in an efficient manner as well. Izuku however failed to do clear the sandbox. To Gohan's confusion, the green-haired teenager was still not using his Quirk. The half-saiyan was curious as to the reason why.

* * *

 **Repeated Side Steps**

The next test brought a nostalgic smile to Gohan's face. The students of Class 1-A had to sidestep between three lines, one after the other. The task was designed to test their mobility and dexterity. Gohan remembered doing a similar exercise often with his father and Piccolo, when they had been training for the arrival of the androids. Except in that case, he had had to avoid multiple energy blasts being fired at him from various directions. As well, instead of a sustained side-step between three lines, he had had to sidestep between three mountaintops in the snowy mountains.

The grape-headed individual, whom Gohan learned was named Minoru Mineta, particularly excelled at this test, using the purple-and-black balls on his head to quickly bounce himself between the lines.

* * *

 **Ball Throw**

The fourth test was the Ball Throw. As Gohan had already pitched a throw, there was no need for him to have another turn. As such, he was afforded a brief reprieve, granting him the opportunity to watch his other classmates

The first person Shota called was Ochaco. Gohan and Izuku flashed her a thumbs-up as she stepped into the white circle. The girl negated the gravity around her ball and threw it. The ball began to float into the air, levitating higher and higher until it disappeared from sight.

"Looks like we have a new high score." Shota announced, revealing her result to the class: infinity.

"How the hell can someone score infinity? Is that even possible?" Denki Kaminari yelled out, throwing his hands in the air in confusion.

On Gohan's right hand side, a short young man with the head of a raven looked at the half-saiyan, "Looks like Uraraka managed to surpass your score, Son."

Gohan shrugged, telling Fumikage Tokoyami, "Ever since I found out what her Quirk did, I expected her to beat my score anyway. If I had a Quirk like her, I would have done exactly what she did."

Katsuki Bakugo was next. As he was called forward, he brushed past Gohan, scowling at him as he stepped into the white circle.

"Damn, that guy has a serious problem with both you and Midoriya." Eijiro Kirishima, standing directly behind Gohan, whispered in his ear.

"Tell me about it," Gohan replied, keeping his voice low. "All he does is just glare at us."

"I don't know his problem with Midoriya, but he's clearly both jealous and envious of you," Fumikage crossed his arms across his chest, as Katsuki did some light stretches. "He's definitely the type to think very highly of himself. He was probably blindsided by your results in the Entrance Exam; your performance in this test has only amplified his hostility towards you."

 _Wonderful._ Gohan thought.

Katsuki wound his right arm and moved forward, slamming his feet into the ground as he pitched the ball. Before releasing the ball from his hand, he activated his Explosion Quirk order to propel the ball forward. As it flew through the field, creating miniature shockwaves in its path, Shota showed the class a score of 705.2 metres. An excellent score, and the third best showing from the class so far behind Ochaco and Gohan. However, Katsuki didn't appear too pleased with his result.

Following Bakugo was a girl named Momo Yaoyorozu. The beautiful girl was buxom and tall, with dark hair tied in a single ponytail. She had already revealed herself to have an incredible Quirk. She had the ability to create any object she wished, though the materialisation of these objects seemed to be limited to the exposure of her skin. Her performance so far during the Quirk Apprehension Test had been quite exceptional; the girl was creating objects that would aid her to achieve considerably high results in each of the previous test. In this particular test, Momo created a cannon from her body and fired the softball from it, securing a score of 925.5 metres.

Gohan and several others whistled aloud, impressed by what they saw. The girl definitely seemed to be using her Quirk in creative ways.

Hanta Sero was next up; he wrapped adhesive tape around his ball, spun around in the white circle to generate momentum and flung the softball in the sky. He ultimately scored 92.5 metres.

"Midoriya, you're up next." Shota announced, after Hanta rejoined his classmates.

Gohan heard Izuku mutter something underneath his breath, but could not make it out.

"Good luck, Izuku." Gohan said, giving the green-haired an thumbs-up as Izuku stepped forward.

Izuku glanced back at Gohan with a small smile, before going to grab a ball.

Shuffling forward, occupying where Izuku had previously stood was Tenya Iida. The tall, bespectacled boy crossed his arms across his chest.

"If Midoriya doesn't shape up soon, he's going to be sent home." He told Gohan.

Gohan nodded in agreement, though made sure to keep a smile on his face, "There are only three tests left after this. He has to use his Quirk now or else Mr. Aizawa will expel him."

"Who the fuck cares if Midoriya gets sent home? He's a Quirkless loser. He doesn't belong here." Bakugo snarled from behind them.

Confused, Gohan looked back at Katsuki, "Izuku has a Quirk. Did you not hear about what happened during the Entrance Exam?"

"What the fuck are you talking about, nerd boy? Deku doesn't have a Quirk."

"Gohan's telling the truth," Ochaco Uraraka spoke up from behind Tenya. "Izuku used his Quirk to save me from the zero-pointer during the practical test. It broke his arm, but he definitely has a Quirk."

The half-saiyan raised his eyebrow at Bakugo, "I thought you and him went to the same junior high? I'm surprised you didn't know this."

Leaving a confounded Katsuki to his thoughts, Gohan looked back to see a determined Izuku prepare his pitch. As Izuku pulled his right arm past his head, Gohan sensed the power level of the green-haired teenager dramatically spike. He seemed to be focusing a form of energy into his arm. This was evident by the fact that the limb was glowing and emitting yellow sparks, with red-coloured vein-like streams coursing through the arm.

Before Izuku could throw the ball however, he stopped, the glow of his arm disappearing. Gohan immediately sensed his power level take a nose dive.

"I erased your Quirk, Midoriya."

Gohan and the others glanced at Aizawa, and were surprised to find that the scarfs around the teacher's neck were floating around him. His dark eyes had suddenly turned crimson-red, giving him an almost villainous appearance.

"The other judges were not rational enough. Someone like you shouldn't have been enrolled at this school."

Gohan and several others winced at the bluntness of his statement. Izuku gasped at their homeroom teacher.

"Wait, I know who you are! Those goggles. You can look at someone and cancel our their Quirks. You're the Eraser Hero...Eraserhead!'

The rest of Class 1-A looked between each other questioningly in confused silence. Like Gohan, it seemed that no one had heard of this Eraserhead.

 _Wait, hold on...did Izuku just say Mr. Aizawa can erase Quirks? That means...oh crap!_ Gohan gulped, realising the implications of this reveal.

If Aizawa decided to use his Quirk against Gohan, he would immediately know that the half-saiyan did not possess a Quirk. That would undoubtedly heighten suspicions as to the source of his immense power, raising questions about the half-saiyan's origin. He wasn't even taking into the account the reprimand he would receive for lying on official public records. Gohan had listed his Quirk as "Superhuman" when updating his record; he had classified it as a mutant-type Quirk. His only hope was that Shota's Quirk only worked on those with Emission or Transformation Quirks.

"You're not ready to be a hero," Eraserhead continued, staring at him through narrowed eyes. "Were you planning to break your bones again? Counting on someone else to save your broken body?"

When Izuku protested, Eraserhead wrapped his scarf around Izuku's arm, pulling him closer. "No matter what your intentions are, you would be nothing more than a liability in battle. You have the same reckless passion as another overzealous hero I know. But even with that drive, you're worthless if you can only throw a single punch before breaking down. With your power, you have no chance of becoming a hero."

Aizawa released Izuku and closed his eyes. When he opened them, they had reverted back to black.

"I returned your Quirk. Take your final throw and hurry up with it."

 _I take it back. I doubt even Piccolo would harshly admonish him in front of an entire class like this._ Gohan thought. _At least, not his present self anyway._

From Aizawa's harsh words, Gohan had learnt that Izuku had a Quirk that he had no control over. His Quirk damaged his body upon usage. Gohan's face continued to display a smile, but internally, he was concerned for his friend's prospects.

 _Come on Izuku. You can do it. If I were him, I would focus that power all into one of my fingers and then throw the ball. I'd still break my finger, but better that than an arm._

It was as if the green-haired boy had read Gohan's mind. A finger on Izuku's right hand began to glow.

"SMASH!" Izuku shouted as he threw the ball. Similar to both Gohan and Katsuki's pitches, the enormous force generated from the throw launched the ball high into the sky, blasting a rush of wind throughout the area. The sight of Izuku using his Quirk to throw the ball caused the entire class to gasp in surprise. It seemed to Gohan that some of his fellow classmates had already written Izuku off as a lost cause.

As the dust settled, Izuku turned to look at Aizawa, with a trembling smile spread across his face. The finger that he had channeled the energy of his Quirk into was red and swollen, but Gohan was pleased to see that his hand was still functioning.

"You see, Mr. Aizawa?" Despite clearly being in pain, he showed Aizawa his quivering hand. "I'm still standing!"

Gohan swore he saw the ghost of a grin flash across Aizawa's face. The dark-haired pro hero showed the class Izuku's score.

"Wow, 705.3 metres? That's super impressive. I knew Izuku could do it!" Ochaco called out, beaming at Izuku.

"Still, his finger is broken." Tenya said with concern.

"He's still standing, isn't he?" Gohan responded, smiling at his friend. "This proves that Aizawa was wrong. Izuku has what it takes to-"

"HEY DEKU you bastard! Tell me how you did it or else you're DEAD!" Bakugo angrily pushed past Gohan and Tenya, preparing to charge at Izuku.

He was brought to a halt when a hand wrapped around his wrist, pulling him back with startling force. Bakugo whipped his head around and found that Gohan had been the one to grab him.

"Don't do something you'll regret, Bakugo." The half-saiyan sternly told him.

"You better let go of me, nerd boy, or else I'll blast you to smithereens." Katsuki threatened.

"Alright, both of you, that's enough. Calm down, Bakugo. Son, let him go." Aizawa ordered.

Gohan did as his teacher instructed. Katsuki pulled his hand back and glared at Gohan, his red eyes darkening with fury.

"This isn't over, Son," Bakugo said, keeping his voice low enough for only Gohan to hear. "You think you're the top dog with that Quirk of yours? I'll crush you and Deku like bugs. You got that, nerd boy? I'm gonna be the number one student in this damn school." With that, Bakugo brusquely stormed past him and went back to the back of the group.

 _It's my first day, and someone already hates me. This day is turning out better than I hoped._ Gohan thought sarcastically.

"It'd be wise to avoid making me use my Quirk often. It gives me serious dry eye," Shota warned his class. "Now, whoever's up next, hurry up. Fumikage Tokoyami, get on with it."

As Fumikage went to take his turn, Izuku walked back to where Gohan and the others were standing. Despite his injury, the smile on his face continued to broaden.

"Wow, Midoriya, didn't think you had it in you. Killer throw, dude." Eijiro affectionally clapped him on the back.

"I must admit that your throw was quite exemplary. Even if it caused you to break your finger, it is still quite the accomplishment." Tenya complimented.

"I'm probably gonna have to go the nurse' office after this for some ice. My finger is absolutely killing me," Izuku looked at Gohan with an intense twinkle in his eyes. "Thanks Gohan. I thought Kacchan was gonna kill me."

"You threw a great pitch. Fourth in the class so far. Congrats man," Gohan smiled. "And you don't need to thank me. What are friends for?"

* * *

Although the remaining three tests - the long-distance run, seated toe-touches and sit-ups - failed to match the intensity or excitement of the previous four, they passed by relatively quickly. Soon, all the exercises were complete. Class 1-A all gathered in front of the gymnasium, waiting with bated breath for Shota to announce the results.

"Seeing as you're all so eager to see the scores," Shota displayed the phone that he had been using to measure their results. "I've ranked you all from best to worst. That should give you a good idea on your standing in the class."

Shota pressed a button on the device, projecting a holographic image of the results.

Gohan scanned the list, and to his pleasant surprise, discovered that he was ranked first-place. Rounding out the top-five was Momo Yaoyorozu, the morose Shoto Todoroki, Katsuki Bakugo and Tenya Iida. Unfournately, as he reached the bottom, he was disheartened to see Izuku's name ranked last.

 _This is unfair. He doesn't deserve to be expelled. He tried his best._ Gohan thought, as he glanced at Izuku. The green-haired boy looked understandably devastated.

"Oh, by the way, I was lying about the expulsion. None of you are going home." Shota suddenly told them, casually turning off the holographic screen.

"...WHAT?!" Izuku and several other students - including Gohan himself - shouted in unison, throwing their hands in the air in a state of shock.

"I'm surprised that none of you realised that Mr. Aizawa was deceiving us. It seemed incredibly obvious that this was a ruse to ensure that we try our best. I guess I should have said something." Everyone turned to stare at Momo Yaoyorozu, who had a hint of guilt in her voice.

"Yaoyorozu is correct. It was a rational deception designed to bring out your best performance. Judging by your results, it's safe to say that it worked," Aizawa frowned. "However, do not place too much merit in your results. While your rank may be a good indicator of your potential, it is how you apply yourselves to your studies that will determine your success at U.A. If anyone of you begin to slip, I will not hesitate to expel you. Understood?"

"Yes sir!"

"Good," Shota put his phone back into his pocket. "That's it for today. Pick up a syllabus from class and read over it before tomorrow morning. And Midoriya," Aizawa reached into his scarf and pulled out a pass. "Take this to Recovery Girl's office and get her to fix your finger."

After Izuku had taken the pass, Shota turned to once again face Class 1-A. "Everyone, make sure that you are prepared. Tomorrow is when your real hero training begins. Make sure that you are prepared. You are all dismissed. Oh, and, Son? I need you to stay behind for a moment. I want to discuss your results."

 _Crap._ Gohan thought, resisting the urge to bolt. _Did he already figure out that I don't have a Quirk?_

"Good luck, Son. With the way Aizawa has been staring at you all day, you're gonna need it." Hanta Sero chuckled nervously, giving him a reassuring pat on the back.

"Dude, he's like the most powerful person in our class. You saw his results - this whole Q.A.T. was nothing to him. I bet you Aizawa is probably gonna give him a medal or something." Eijiro grinned.

As the rest of the class began to take their leave, a worried Izuku approached him, placing a concerned hand on Gohan's shoulder, "What do you think Mr. Aizawa wants with you."

"I have no idea." Gohan admitted, resisting the urge to nervously swallow.

He shook his head and winked at Izuku, before saying, "Looks like you aren't going home after all."

"Yeah, thank Kami," Izuku said. "I thought he was serious about the expulsion rule."

"Same. Yaoyorozu's pretty smart - the rest of us should have realised that it was a ploy. Anyway, you better head to the nurse and get that checked out," Gohan nodded his head towards the swollen red finger. "I'll catch up with you later."

"Yeah, I will. And Gohan...you're gonna be fine. Like Kirishima said...you're easily the strongest person in our class. Out of everyone, you're probably the last person who has anything to worry about. He's probably going to congratulate you on your result."

With that, Izuku left with the rest of their classmates, clutching his broken finger.

Letting out a small sigh, Gohan walked up towards Shota Aizawa, who was staring at him with a knitted brow.

 _"_ You wished to speak with me, sir?"

Shota regarded him for a moment, seemingly weighing him with his pitch-black eyes, before opening his mouth to speak, "Yes, I did. As I said, I wanted to talk about your results. More specifically, I wish to discuss your Quirk."

"I...I see. What do you wish to know, sir?" Gohan asked, attempting to keep a neutral tone as he internally began to panic.

"You showed an impressive array of abilities today, Son. You have an incredibly versatile Quirk that allowed you to efficiently and effectively complete each exercise without any trouble. Following your performance in the Entrance Exam, myself and several other teachers took the liberty to do a more thorough inspection of your application documents. You've listed your Quirk as "Superhuman". From what I've gathered, "Superhuman" naturally enhances your physical traits by a rather substantial proportion. It essentially grants you enhanced speed, strength, stamina, dexterity, reflexes, etc. Am I correct?"

"Uh, yes sir."

"Nothing in that description however would indicate an ability to fly, nor would it presume the ability to shoot energy beams out of your hands," Shota inclined his head, bangs of black hair falling down to conceal his dark eyes. "Would you like to explain how your Quirk allows you perform such feats?"

"Um, well, Mr. Aizawa, you see..." Gohan cupped his chin with his right hand, wondering how he could explain the intricacies of _ki_ manipulation to Shota. Gohan didn't even know if _ki_ control was known outside of the Z-Fighters. If it was, then wouldn't there be more heroes out there who would be able to gather and draw out _ki_? He didn't seen All Might for example flying around and shooting _ki_ blasts from his hands. Especially considering that a large number within the superhero community viewed his father as an icon for his defeat of the Red Ribbon Army and the Great Demon King Piccolo.

Gohan had to admit that he was surprised that there weren't any heroes that acknowledged his father's ability to harness his latent energy. Perhaps this was because not many were unaware of the fact that Goku's abilities did not derive from a Quirk? When Gohan had read textbooks relating to the history of modern superhero society; the sections pertaining to his father did not mention _ki_ in anyway when discussing his powers.

Would the eraser hero even believe him then? He couldn't really see any other alternative explanation that would satisfy Mr. Aizawa.

Well, there was one course of action that was applicable to this situation: playing ignorant.

 _Act natural, Gohan._

"Hurry up, Son. I don't have all day." Shota said sternly.

"Yes sir, sorry sir! The thing is...I don't really have the answer to that myself," Gohan chuckled nervously, placing both his hands on the back of his neck. "When I registered my Quirk before the Entrance Exam, I didn't have the ability to fly or shoot energy blasts. My mom however has the ability to fly. My dad was able to shoot energy beams. However, a few days after, I woke up to find myself floating above my bed. I think...I think maybe my Quirk also allows me to control the density of my body? I dunno. It was really freaky - it took a while for me to get back on the ground. I..I spent most of the week before the exam trying to learn how to control my flying abilities. My mom helped me figure out how to use my new ability, you know, since she can fly. As for my energy attacks, well the thing I was out hunting in the forest one day and-"

"I think I understand," Shota curtly interrupted Gohan's ramble. "You inherited those abilities from your parents. However, they did not manifest until the lead-up to the Entrance Exam. This is not uncommon - some Quirks tend to evolve and change as their user grows older. It is possible that in training for the Entrance Exam, you unlocked hidden layers to your Quirk that even you did not know."

"...yeah, that's right! That's definitely what it was, Mr. Aizawa!" Gohan declared, suppressing the desire to let out a sigh of relief.

Shota continued, "I see. Looks like your training will be focused on getting a stronger hold over your newfound abilities. Well, besides that, I have one other question for you. It is unrelated to your results or Quirk."

 _Oh man. What else could he want to know_

"Yes sir?" Gohan asked cautiously.

"Your application stated your address to be in Mount Paozu. Specifically 439 East District. That is a remote area of Japan almost a thousand kilometres east of Musutafu City. Unless you live with a relative or a guardian closer to U.A., that would mean by even by jetcopter, the total time it would take to travel back and forth from U.A. and your home would be around ten hours. This level of a commute has raised concern among our staff. We fear that the long hours may impact on your overall performance."

 _Oh no! Crap, neither mom and I even thought about this._ Gohan worryingly thought. _I can't tell him about Nimbus. How the hell do I explain where I found a magical yellow cloud that can fly at two thousand miles an hour? It's not even a registered vehicle. Damnit._

"Um, the thing is, sir, I'm very much committed to my goal to become a hero. There are other hero schools much closer to where I live, but U.A. High is the top-ranked program in Japan. This school will give me the best opportunity to learn and train on how to become a pro hero. No matter the distance, it won't stop me from attending this school and ultimately getting my full hero license," Gohan said carefully. "Even if it means I have to leave a 3 AM, or if it means I get home at 8 PM, nothing will stop me from achieving my goal."

"...I see. I assume someone takes you to Musutafu by jetcopter?" Shota skewed his eyes at him. "Considering the fact that you are legally not allowed to fly, or the fact that you are not yet of age to procure a provisional jetcopter license."

"Oh! Yes sir!" Gohan exclaimed, too loudly for his own comfort. "A neighbour and friend of the family works in Musutafu, so he takes me with him. His shift ends at 3:30 PM, so we just leave together. It's a lot of distance to travel, but he just puts the jetcopter in autopilot, so it affords us both the opportunity to get some sleep. There's also enough space for me to do some homework or revise, sir."

Gohan was surprised at how easily the lies were coming to him. He didn't think himself a good liar.

Shota seemed satisfied with that answer, "I understand. Know this however, Son. If your commute begins to impede upon your performance in anyway - and I don't care how minuscule - the school will be forced to arrange a meeting with your family to discuss alternative arrangements. Whether that be living on campus or having you live with someone in the city on the weekdays, we will take action. We wish to ensure all our students have the best possible education at U.A. Do you understand?"

"I...I understand, sir." Gohan responded, thinking as to how his mother would react to him moving away from home. He did not think she would too thrilled with that.

 _It's either that or being forced to move our family closer to civilisation. That would make her even more angry._

"Alright, you're dismissed. Go back to homeroom and join the rest of your classmates."

Gohan quickly bowed to his teacher, and turned away to make his leave.

"Oh, and Son, one more thing," When Gohan looked back, Shota placed his hands in his pockets. "I always tell my students to never rest on their laurels. No matter how powerful or skilled they may be, there is always room for improvement. However, you should be proud of your accomplishments. Your results in both this Quirk Apprehension Test and the Entrance Exam were exceptional. In fact, I dare say they might be the best U.A. has seen in a long time. Keep up the good work. Oh, and I hope your first day of schooling was everything you needed it to be. "

Although the half-saiyan was taken aback by his teacher's compliments, he quickly made sure thank Eraserhead before heading off back to class. His first impression of the pro hero had been wrong; it looked like Eraserhead would prove to be one of their finest teachers. Despite the teacher's intensity and unorthodox methods, Gohan looked forward to studying under him.

* * *

" _ **That was a rotten move, Aizawa**_."

As he began to make his way home, the thoughts of the Eraser Hero were interrupted by the appearance of the number-one hero, All Might. The very muscular and well-defined hero was wearing a striped yellow formal suit with a purple tie. He had both his hands placed on his hips.

Eraserhead coolly regarded the hero. "All Might, so you were watching. Why, no talkshows today?"

" _ **A rational deception? Don't make me laugh, Aizawa. You're not exactly known for being lighthearted. I've read your file. Last year, you expelled an entire class of freshmen students. You have no problem kicking out anyone you deem unworthy. You were planning to send last place home**_ **,"** All Might pointed his finger at the pale hero. _**"That could only mean you see the same kind of potential in Young Midoriya that I do!"**_

Eraserhead couldn't help but grin at the top-ranked Japanese hero. "What is this about, All Might? It almost sounds like you've been in his corner the whole time."

Noticing All Might had faltered at his statement, Eraserhead continued by saying, "Isn't it a little early to be playing favourites? He doesn't have zero potential, I admit. If that were the case, I would have sent him home after class without hesitation. It's cruel to let a kid continue dreaming about something that'll never come true."

" _ **...I see. In your own strange way, Aizawa, you're a kind man. I know that**_ ," All Might pinched his chin with both his thumb and pointer finger. _**"Changing the subject, what do you think of Son Gohan? Incredible, is he not? I have never seen a boy quite like him."**_

"...I agree," Shota said, surprising both All Might and himself. "I'll admit, I had my doubts about him, but he seems like an earnest and good-hearted kid. Both him and Midoriya seem to have already formed a friendship with each. That's good - Son's example will motivate Midoriya to try harder. Son definitely has the right conviction to become a pro hero. One thing I will say is that he is a terrible liar. I pray that he will never find himself in a situation where the fate of himself or others depends on his ability to successfully lie."

All Might furrowed his brow, _**"What do you mean by that?"**_

"I asked him to tell me how his Quirk allowed him to fly and shoot energy attacks from his hands. Instead of telling the truth and disclosing that he learnt these abilities from his father, he went off on this convoluted tangent about how these powers manifested during the week prior to the Entrance Exam," Eraserhead snorted. "If he had rambled on any further, I would have gotten a headache."

All Might slowly smiled at Shota, _**"So you suspect as well."**_

"It's more than a suspicion. It's out there in plain sight for all to see. All you have to do is look. Truth be told, I'm very surprised that no one else has connected the dots. Besides you of course, but that was to be expected. They share the same last name and possess strikingly similar powers and abilities. In spite of his haircut, the physical resemblance is also uncanny. His age and birthdate would also indicate that he was conceived a little while after the 23rd World Martial Arts Tournament. The last time his father ever appeared in the public eye," Shota pursed his dry lips. "I'm curious as to why he doesn't admit that he is the son of Son Goku."

" ** _It's quite possible that Young Son does not want the attention that will come with being Son Goku's son. You saw how the students reacted to his Quirk - imagine what they would act upon discovering that he was the son of one of the bastions of modern superhero society,"_** All Might suggested, stroking his chin thoughtfully. _**"Despite his performance in the U.A. Entrance Exam, from what I saw of him in this little test of yours, he does not appear to comfortable being the centre of attention."**_

"He better learn to get used to it. I don't care who his father is either way. He's a hero-in-training, just like the rest of my class. I won't treat him any differently just because of his parentage. However, ignoring his pedigree, with his Quirk and general abilities, he will be thrust into spotlight very soon. Whether it be by his own willing or by outside forces. Of that much, I have no doubt."

* * *

The end of the Quirk Apprehension Test marked the conclusion of Gohan's first-day at U.A. High School. As Gohan entered the Class 1-A homeroom to retrieve his curriculum, he immediately discovered that most of his fellow classmates had not yet departed from school. Fortunately for him, he noticed Bakugo was among those who had already left.

"Oh, hey Son!" Upon stepping into the classroom, Gohan found himself being approached by Mina Ashido. The vivacious pink-skinned girl sported a wide grin across her face.

"Here you go - it's a copy for our timetable. Our classes are scheduled fortnightly," Gohan took the lamented paper that Mina was holding out to him. "Tomorrow seems to be pretty loaded!

"Thanks Ashido," Gohan gave her a grateful smile, before studying the academic schedule in his hands. "So what's our day look like tomorrow?"

"Dude, tomorrow is _packed_!" Gohan looked up and found Denki Kaminari standing beside Mina. "We got Present Mic teaching us English first period; then a guy named Ectoplasm for Mathematics; then someone called Cementoss for Modern Literature. Then finally, in the period before lunch, we get a big reward for slugging through those boring periods: Midnight is gonna be teaching us Modern Hero Art History!"

Gohan did not recognise any of the names that Denki had listed, but smiled nonetheless. "That sounds neat, Kaminari. And after lunch, it looks like we have a subject called Foundational Hero Studies. I wonder what that is about?"

"I strongly believe that Foundational Hero Studies will be a critical subject in our development as pro heroes," Sporting a serious expression, Tenya marched towards them, moving his arms once more in an automated fashion. "From what I've learnt from speaking with the senior students, Hero Studies will teach us the very essence of what it means to be a hero!"

" _Ribbit,_ I wonder who's gonna be teaching us?" Tsuyu Asui was the fifth person to join their conversation. She was curiously gazing over her copy of the timetable. "On the schedule, Foundational Hero Studies is the only subject to not list the person who'll be our teacher."

"Isn't All Might supposed to be teaching at U.A. this year?" Gohan recalled, remembering what the number-one hero had stated when he had announced the Entrance Exam results. "He's probably our teacher for our subject. As Iida said, Hero Studies is probably the most important subject listed here in regards to our growth as heroes. As the top-ranked hero, All Might's probably the best suited to be teaching us the fundamentals of being a pro."

A cheerful Mina clicked her fingers, "You're right, Son! I can't believe All Might's gonna be our teacher. That's so freaking awesome. That's easily the subject I'm most excited for tomorrow."

"Same here." The other four students collectively agreed.

At that moment, someone walked in through the doorway. Gohan and the others turned their heads and found that it was Izuku who had entered the class. He looked very worn out and weary.

"Hey guys." The green-haired boy said faintly, as he drew near their group with weak steps.

"Damn, Midoriya, you look absolutely exhausted," Denki observed aloud, saying what they were all thinking. "You look like you've run a thousand-kilometre marathon."

"I definitely feel like I've run a a thousand-kilometre marathon."

Gohan regarded Izuku with concern, "You okay, Izuku? How's the finger?"

"Oh, it's fine," Izuku smiled tiredly, pointing up his bandaged finger. "All thanks to Recovery Girl. From what she told me about her Quirk, it stimulates the healing process, but takes a lot of stamina. That's why I look so worn out."

"Hey Izuku!" Upon noticing Izuku enter class, Ochaco abruptly ended her conversation with Rikido Sato and Eijiro Kirishima, approaching their group with a bright smile. "Your finger looks all better now. Here, it's a copy of our schedule. I saved one just for you."

As she handed the schedule to a thankful Izuku, she tilted her head towards Gohan, "Hey, Gohan, what did you and Mr. Aizawa talk about? He looked pretty serious when he called out your name. You're not in trouble are you?"

"Oh, um, no. Like he said, he just wanted to discuss my results," Gohan answered, shrugging. "He asked about my powers as well."

"I don't normally dare presume what my other classmates are thinking, but I think I speak for all of us in this regard. Many of us are curious as to what exactly your Quirk is, Son," Tenya fixed Gohan with an inquisitive gaze. "During the Quirk Apprehension Test, you showed a remarkably diverse array of abilities. I theorised that you possessed a Quirk that multiplied your natural physical condition. Am I correct in this guess?"

"No, you're spot on, Iida," Gohan nodded at the bespectacled boy. "Right on the dot."

"From what Ashido, Kaminari and Mineta told us about your performance in the Entrance Exam, that doesn't explain your flight capabilities, _ribbit,_ or how you can generate energy from your hands. Is that also linked to your Quirk." Tsuyu curiously pondered, placing a finger on her chin.

Before Gohan could utter out a response, a grinning Denki placed an arm around Gohan's shoulder. "Who cares how his Quirk works? It doesn't matter anyway. Son over here is a serious freaking badass."

"Yeah, you're pretty amazing, Gohan," Izuku lowered his gaze, looking at his finger with an unwavering gaze. "Seeing your Quirk in action made me realise how behind I am from everyone else. Everyone else has such a strong grasp on their abilities. I really need to step up - I can't rely on people helping me. I'm gonna make sure to push myself beyond my limits. Like Aizawa said, Plus-Ultra style!"

"That's the spirit, Midoriya!" Ashido encouraged.

"Yeah, Izuku! You can do it! Just don't push yourself too hard!" Ochaco said.

 _If Izuku's Quirk really breaks his body as badly as I think, maybe I should give him a couple of senzu beans?_ The can of worms that undoubtedly open from introducing Izuku to Korin's mythical healing beans made the idea incredibly risky. Before making a decision, Gohan would have to ask the other Z-Fighters for their opinion on the matter.

Eventually, most of the class began to file out of the classroom. Tsuyu, Denki and Mina had departed for their respective train stations. Ochaco and Tenya were waiting for Gohan and Izuku by the door. After packing up his things, Izuku went to join them. However, he was stopped by Gohan.

"Hey, you guys start walking. We'll catch up in a moment. I gotta talk to Izuku about something." Gohan told them.

After the the pair left, Gohan and Izuku were the only ones that remained in the Class 1-A homeroom.

Izuku offered Gohan a curious stare, uncertain of what the half-saiyan wanted. "Uh, Gohan. Is something wrong?"

Gohan grinned, shaking his head. He pointed at his green-haired friend's uniform. "Remember what I promised in the morning? We don't have long. I'm gonna teach you how to properly do your tie."

Izuku's initial look of confusion slowly morphed into a beaming smile, "Oh, damn. With everything that happened today, I completely forgot about that. Thank you so much, Gohan!"

"Don't worry about," Gohan Son pulled out his own red tie, letting it fall down his blazer. "Here, I'll show you how it's done first."

* * *

 **Thank you very much for reading. I'll try to post every subsequent new chapter on Sunday (Saturday PST). Next chapter - due out hopefully next week - will be tackling the Battle Trial Arc. As well, Gohan will find out exactly how his father stands in modern superhero society. Also, he'll be making new friends.**

 **Note 1: Gohan's Hero Costume is basically a mix of original Great Saiyaman and MCU Spider-Man.**


	4. An Unexpected Lesson! Time Starts Now!

**For all those who have reviewed, followed and favourited, thank you. Really appreciate all the support. Please, continue letting me know what you think.**

* * *

 **U.A. High School**

"Yoh guys, wait up!" A familiar, ebullient female voice called out from behind Gohan Son and Izuku Midoriya.

Walking along the orange-bricked pathway that led to the H-shaped main building of U.A. High School, the conversation between the two teenage boys came to an end as they turned around to greet Ochaco Uraraka. The short and petite brown-haired girl jogged down the pathway to stand before the pair, her round face showcasing a jovial smile.

"Oh, hey," Gohan smiled at their bubbly classmate, as fellow U.A. students streamed past them. "Izuku and I were just talking about what to expect for our second day. Judging from the schedule our entire class was given, it seems like today is going to be a lot more straightforward than yesterday.

"Yeah, besides Hero Studies, everything else seems in line with what you would expect in a regular high-school!" Ochaco grinned. "I'm so excited, you guys! After that crazy Quirk Apprehension Test we did yesterday, I'm really looking forward to seeing what a normal day at U.A. is like! Don't you guys feel the same?"

"Absolutely." Gohan nodded in agreement with the cheerful girl.

Ochaco looked at Izuku, who was simply staring at her with a blank expression. "What about you, Izuku? Aren't you pumped about today as well?"

"Oh! Ye-ye-yeah, of-of-course!" Izuku stammered quickly, mindlessly waving his hands in front of his increasingly reddening face. "Today is-today is gonna be great! Especial-especially since All-All Might is apparently teaching us Hero Studies."

"It's gonna be so cool having the number-one hero teach us the basics on how to be a hero!" Ochaco said excitedly.

 _Yeah, she's right. If All Might really is our Hero Studies teacher, our final period is going to be very interesting._ Gohan thought, as the three continued slowly walking down the pathway. _I wonder what his teaching style is going to be like? Colourful and dramatic?_

"Hey, Izuku, can I ask you something?" Ochaco prepared to broach the green-haired boy a question. "Yesterday, when that blonde guy with the explosive Quirk - I think his name was Bakugo - tried to confront you, he called you Deku. Why would he call you that? I remember Gohan saying you and that guy went to junior high together. Is that your middle name, or like a nickname he has for you?"

"Oh, well, um, actually you see...Deku is what Kacchan calls to make fun of me," Izuku admitted nervously, awkwardly placing a hand on the back of his head. "It's a-it's an abbreviation of another nickname he gave me when we were kids: Defenceless Izuku."

Gohan frowned, "So that's what Deku means? I remember him calling you that before the Entrance Exam. Huh, it's not very nice to give someone a nickname like that. Haven't you told him to stop calling you by that name?"

"When we were kids, yeah, but Kacchan would never listen. It's not like anyone cared enough to stop him, anyway." Izuku told them.

The small, green-haired teenager stopped at the bottom of the marble stairs, solemnly lowering his gaze to the ground. "I couldn't do anything about it, so eventually, I just got used to it."

 _No wonder Izuku has such a low self-esteem. From the scared and timid way he reacts whenever Bakugo is around, that guy probably bullied him a lot as a kid._ Gohan thought, giving his friend a look of sympathy.

"Oh, I didn't realise that. I'm sorry, Izuku." Ochaco apologised, her voice filled with sincerity.

"But you know what? I like Deku. It has a kinda 'never give up' type of vibe to it. I think it would make for a cool hero name," Ochaco grinned merrily at Izuku. "Plus, I think it sounds kinda cute."

"Deku it is!" Izuku suddenly exclaimed.

Somewhat startled by the his friend's sudden shift in mood, Gohan stared at Izuku inquisitively, his mouth dropping open slightly as he realised what he had just declared, "But...hold on, I thought you said that Deku was an insult. I don't understand - why would you suddenly be okay being called Deku?"

"Uh, well, you see, I just, oh, um..." His green-haired friend began to hopelessly stutter over his words. His pupils dilated, the sclera of his eyes become increasingly visible as his eyes bulged out of their sockets. As Gohan and Ochaco both looked at Izuku with puzzled expressions, Izuku sharply swung around and covering his flushed face with his hands, chuckling nervously.

As his friend continued to stumble over his words, Gohan soon realised that he had to intervene and interrupted Izuku's ramblings with a loud cough. He was not trying to be rude; it was becoming strikingly apparent that Izuku was very apprehensive about answering his question.

"Hey guys, we probably should be heading to homeroom now. We've just been standing at the base of these stairs for the last minute. Didn't Iida say that we're supposed to be seated in class before the first bell? We don't want him or Mr. Aizawa to get angry at us for being late, especially on our second day." Gohan told them.

"Yeah, you're absolutely right Gohan!" Ochaco said, as she began climbing up the marble stairway.

Izuku slowly turned around and lowered his hands from his face, smiling sheepishly at Gohan, "Yeah, I don't want Iida to yell at us like he did with Kacchan yesterday. I don't think my heart could handle it. Anyway, let's go start our second day at U.A."

With that, Gohan and Izuku began following Ochaco to Class 1-A. The three classmates were eagerly awaiting the forthcoming day.

* * *

Following a relatively unremarkable homeroom session, the first period of Class 1-A's second day at U.A. High School was English. The subject was taught by Present Mic, whom Gohan remembered from the presentation the pro hero had given to the examinees prior to the practical portion of the Entrance Exam. Since that day, from what he had gauged as Present Mic taught the class, practically nothing about the pro hero's rocker appearance or eccentric radio host personality-type had changed.

Unfournately, it was becoming quickly apparent that Present Mic's method of teaching was proving to be unengaging to the majority of his students. Gohan's seat in the back row - situated in between the bubbly Ochaco Uraraka and the contrastingly gloomy Shoto Todoroki - afforded him the opportune view to routinely observe the rest of the class. From what he could tell, with the exception of Izuku, Momo Yaoyorozu and Tenya Iida, his classmates were struggling to remain attentive to the lesson; some were even struggling to stay awake. The half-saiyan felt somewhat sorry for their teacher - the enthusiastic pro hero was trying his best to keep his students engaged in the lesson. However, from the discreet yawns and hushed sighs of restlessness, his passion for the subject did not appear to be rubbing off on the majority of Class 1-A.

Gohan himself was trying his best to pay attention to Present Mic, but found his mind constantly adrift with fragmented thoughts. It wasn't that he found the lesson to be particularly uninteresting, nor was he apathetic to Present Mic's teaching style. No, it was simply due to the fact that the half-saiyan was already extremely familiar with the content Present Mic was attempting to teach them. Due to the excessive tutoring his mother had provided him for him from an early age, English was among one of the many subjects that he was thoroughly well read on. In addition to being able to read and write rather eloquently in English, the language itself was one that Gohan could speak as fluently as he could Japanese. Although English was not one of Gohan's favourites, he still had a good grasp over the subject.

Once again, Gohan had to thank his mother for going above and beyond the call of duty to prepare him for his further studies. It was something he had not appreciated until his father had died.

In fact, his meticulous examination of the curriculum had indicated to the half-saiyan that his current level of knowledge far surpassed what the freshmen hero course at U.A. High School had to offer. At least, this was in terms of the education provided for the the core academic subjects. He would have no trouble with Mathematics, Modern Literature, History, Science, etc. He had no idea what to expect however with the subjects directly relating to their development as heroes-in-training.

As Present Mic began writing sentences in English on the blackboard, Gohan found his thoughts currently transfixed on his alter-ego: the Golden Warrior. The half-saiyan had taken Bulma's advice and read up on the news articles about the vigilante. He had expected most of the articles to have denounced and besmirched his status as a vigilante. To his pleasant surprise, from the write-ups and commentary he had uncovered about the Golden Warrior online, it was only around half. The other half he had found to be fairly complimentary of his heroics in Satan City. It seemed some people were grateful that unlike many professional heroes, who only dealt with villains and heavyweight criminals, vigilantes such as the Golden Warrior were proactive in stopping small-time crimes such as vehicle hijackings, muggings, home invasions and convenience store robberies.

 _I haven't been active as the Golden Warrior in almost a week._ Gohan realised, as he absentmindedly began to tap his pen against his notebook. _If I had brought some spare clothes today, I could have stopped at Satan City on the way home for a few hours. Ah well, I guess there's always tomorrow afternoon. You know, I wonder if Bulma would be willing to make me another costume for when I go out as-_

"Alright my fellow listeners," Gohan's thoughts were interrupted by the nasal voice of Present Mic. "Out of these four sentences, which one of you rock n' rollers can identify the sentence with the mistake?"

A prompt scan of the sentences written on the blackboard made it immediately obvious to the half-saiyan that the fourth sentence was the one that contained the mistake. Within seconds of Present Mic posing the question to the class, Gohan raised his hand.

"Wow, here we have our first caller: Son Gohan!" Present Mic announced. "Son, lay it on us!"

"Um, the relative pronoun is wrong in the fourth sentence, sir," Gohan answered, pointing his pen at the last sentence. "The relative pronoun can't be left out in non-identifying relative clauses. So the 'what' in the sentence should be replaced with 'that'."

"Stay on the line, Caller No. 1, because you're absolutely correct! Fantastic response, Son!" Present Mic gave Gohan a thumbs-up.

"Huh, what a nerd." Bakugo muttered under his breath.

Present Mic raised his right arm into the air. "Come on guys, say it with me: grammar rules!"

The leather-clad pro hero's enthused attempt to rouse the class was met with a deafening silence from Class 1-A.

* * *

Upon the conclusion of English, Class 1-A were afforded a ten-minute break in order to prepare for their next subject. Class 1-A's next period was Mathematics. The subject was being taught to them by the pro hero Ectoplasm. As the pro hero entered the classroom, Gohan immediately noted his striking appearance. His Hero Costume consisted of a tan cloak that covered most of his body, with the high collar and the area covering his torso resembling that of a double-breasted trench-coat. Underneath his cloak appeared to be a skin-tight black bodysuit with a golden striped neck area, that was matched by a black helmet that covered his entire head; a jaw-guard was attached over his nose and around his nose, as well as circular mufflers. He also wore baggy dark grey pants and seemed to have a pair of thin, lightweight prosthetic legs.

With his intimidating appearance, Gohan had unfairly assumed that Ectoplasm would be a harsh and uncompromising teacher. However, as their teacher instructed Class 1-A on solving algebraic equations containing binomial expressions, he found that his first impression of the pro hero had been misplaced. Although he was indeed strict, it was clear that his firmness derived from his passion for teaching and his desire for his students to try their best. He had high expectations for the students of Class 1-A. To Gohan at least, it seemed that Ectoplasm was genuinely interesting in pushing them beyond their intellectual limits, as to help them achieve the highest result. It was easy for the half-saiyan to respect someone like that.

As Mathematics was one of Gohan's favourite subjects, he was greatly pleased to discover that Ectoplasm possessed an incredible knowledge of and enthusiasm for the subject he was teaching. Although the half-saiyan had never attended a school prior to U.A., the manner in which the pro hero ran the lesson seemed to be more akin to how a traditional high-school class was taught. In any case, it proved to be more agreeable to Class 1-A than their English lesson had been.

Modern Literature with Cementoss was a rather interesting experience. When the half-saiyan had first laid eyes on their teacher, he could not help but be slightly startled by the appearance of their literature studies teacher. In all his years of adventuring and fighting, he had never seen anyone quite like him before. Cementoss definitely lived up to his name - he looked like a humanoid piece of grey cement, with black eyes and grey hair tied in a short ponytail at the back of his head. His body shape was evenly blocky all around his body, with narrow eyes and upwardly pulled lips. Cementoss wore a sleeveless brown suit that consisted of yellow stripes, an elongated collar, grey shoes with yellow soles, and brown shorts that revealed square-shaped kneecaps.

For their first Modern Literature lesson, Class 1-A had been prescribed Yashurio Toriyama's classic _A Tale as Old as Time_. The novel was essentially a modern Japanese retelling of the classic Shakespearean story _Romeo and Juliet_ , except that instead of Verona, Italy, it was set in the Osaka Prefecture in Kansai, Japan. As well, the backdrop of the novel was during the early days of the Quirk Phenomenon, when the dawn of the era was marred by the breakdown of society caused by the sudden onslaught of empowered criminals.

"Toriyama expertly presents many intricately layered themes when detailing the tragic love story between Kobayashi Daishi and the Quirkless Yamamoto Haruno," Cementoss told them, reading from his annotated textbook as he walked down the aisle between the row of seats to Gohan's left.

"Much of _A Tale as Old as Time_ is permeated with the themes of love and death. Passion - whether it born out of love or hate - is presented as the common instigator of the violence and death showcased in the novel. The passionate love between Kobayashi and Yamamoto for example escalates the rivalry between the two families. From the moment that the two lovers fall in love, their love incites a chain of events that leads to the death of many innocents."

"Kami, this is so freaking boring." Rikido Sato muttered.

"It's not just in junior high that we're forced to read these boring novels - it's U.A. as well? This absolutely stinks. If that Iida guy was wrong yesterday and Hero Studies is just theory, I might actually go insane." Eijiro Kirishima whispered to Hanta Sero.

"I'd rather do those algebraic fractions again than listen to this guy drone on about these boring whiny crybabies." Denki Kaminari quietly told Kyoka Jiro.

"You guys idea what you're talking about. This story is absolutely wonderful. The love between Kobayashi and Yamamoto is so romantic!" Mina Ashido raved as she began gushing over the pages in her copy of the novel.

"This absolutely sucks." Bakugo said in a low voice.

"I appreciate the fact that everyone is very open about their feelings for this wonderful text, but at this moment, I would cherish silence even more," Cementoss casually broke through the quiet chatter, without looking up from his notes. "Every year, I always must remind countless teenagers that none of your supposed whispers and mutterings are spoken in anything resembling a hushed tone. Please, if you desperately wish to make your thoughts on the story known, wait until we open it up to class discussion."

Cementoss looked to Tenya, "Now, Iida, please turn to page forty-two of the novel and read till the end of the chapter."

"Yes sir!" Tenya flicked through his copy, found the page and began reading aloud to the entire class in his usual earnest demeanour.

As Gohan followed on from his own copy of _A Tale as Old as Time_ , he couldn't help but agree with the scattered remarks of his classmates - the novel was indeed very boring. It was a shame as well since the original Shakespearean play that this novel was based on was a tale that Gohan enjoyed. However, in regards to this contemporary reimagining, it just did not do the original justice. He could not see how individuals like Ashido or Cementoss could enjoy such a dry and monotonous read.

Despite himself, Gohan agreed with Bakugo evaluation of their lesson. Gohan turned the page as Tenya continued reading. He just hoped that Modern Hero Art History was more engrossing than this.

* * *

The ring of the school bell signified the conclusion to their first Modern Literature lesson. After Cementoss had assigned them their homework, the pro hero packed up his belongings and took his leave. As soon as he had left, Class 1-A began to freely talk to each other.

"Man, that was so lame," Kirishima yawned as he got up from his seat, stretching out his limbs. "Hero Studies in the afternoon better be awesome, because this day so far has been a complete snooze-fest."

"I hate to say it, but Kirishima is correct. The day so far has been quite boring." Mashirao Ojiro told Mezo Shoji and Toru Hagakure.

"I just hope Foundational Hero Studies does not follow the same pattern as our previous lessons," Shoji remarked. "There has already been enough written work as it is."

"Ah, come on guys, it's not that bad," Hagakure said with a cheerful tone. "Anyway, we're bound to be doing some practical stuff in Hero Studies."

"You guys are all forgetting that we still have a period of History before then. And you realise whose teaching us that class? Midnight: The 18-Plus Only Hero. A woman after my own heart. A total dominatrix and sadomasochistic. One of my favourite pro heroes, and a complete and total babe." Minoru Mineta was practically drooling all over his table as he spoke about their teacher.

An enlivened Kaminari nodded in agreement, "If anyone can make boring old history exciting, it's definitely Midnight! I can't wait for her to teach us! I might actually pay attention to class instead of dozing off!"

"I can only imagine why." Jiro muttered to herself.

As his classmates continued conversing amongst themselves, Gohan rummaged through his backpack and took out his textbooks for Modern Hero Art History. Whoever this Midnight was, her reputation seemed to have left a feverish impression on several of his male classmates. However, it didn't appear that many of the girls in his class shared Kaminari and Mineta's fascination and enthusiasm over Midnight. He assumed by their relatively muted reaction that the pro hero mostly appealed to males.

"Hey Gohan, I knew you were strong, but I had no idea you were so smart," Gohan turned his head to the right and looked at Ochaco, who was smiling at him. "All those really difficult questions Ectoplasm and Present Mic fired at us, you were able to answer them so quickly."

"Do you not remember what Mr. Aizawa said yesterday? Son topped both the practical and written portions of the Entrance Exam," Tenya, who sat in front of Ochaco, swirled around in his seat to look at the half-saiyan. "A remarkable feat. Especially when considering the fact that you've has been homeschooled your entire life."

"Oh yeah, that's right," Ochaco clicked her fingers as she recalled what Mr. Aizawa had said about Gohan's performance in the Entrance Exam during the Quirk Apprehension Test. "Yeah, I remember you saying that you were homeschooled. That was before you threw that incredible throw, I think? I'm curious: what's learning from home like? I've never actually met anyone whose been homeschooled before. It must be a pretty mixed bag, right? I mean, even though you don't have to go to school five days in a week, you still miss that interaction with people your own age. Plus, it's gotta be pretty boring just studying from home."

Gohan shrugged, before leaning slightly back in his seat, "It was okay. I never really thought I was missing out on anything. I'm really happy at home, and it's not like I was cramped up in my house all day and all night. Besides, it's not like I've never interacted with anyone close to my age. There's a village several miles away from my home that I occasionally visit with my family. I'm friendly with a few people there who are of similar age to me. I also have plenty of friends already through my family, though most of them are much older than me. In terms of my academics, my mom was - and still is - really strict about my education. However, as long as I finished all my homework on time and did all my daily chores, she let me do pretty much whatever I wanted. Within reason, of course."

"It must be such a culture shock coming to U.A. High, especially since this school is the first you've ever been too," Ochaco observed. "Besides Deku, I thought I was the only one feeling pretty nervous and anxious about this whole hero academia thing. Especially after that fitness test we did yesterday. Everything feels like such a huge change from junior high. Yet I didn't even consider how you were feeling. You must be pretty overwhelmed, huh?"

"Um, well, I mean I guess...I guess I am a little bit overwhelmed," Gohan acknowledged. "Not as much as I thought I would be, though. U.A. seems like a place that really warrants it reputation. I'm really thrilled to be here."

"As am I," Tenya nodded in concurrence, with a serious, resolute cast to his dark eyes. "U.A. has the top hero program in Japan. Many of the best pro heroes in the country are graduates of this fine establishment. Since the announcement of our results, not a day has gone by that I have _not_ felt incredibly privileged to have the honour of walking down the halls of U.A. As a student of its hero course. No matter what U.A. High School throws at us during our time here, I look forward to overcoming every one of these obstacles. No matter how much I must push my mind, body and Quirk to do so. And eventually, upon graduating this hero academia, I greatly anticipate becoming an officially recognised professional hero, and living up to the reputation of my family."

 _Wow, Iida is so serious about his goals._ Gohan thought, as he regarded Tenya with a small smile. _I was wrong about this guy. He looks severe, but he's just a really straightforward and earnest person._

The three students continued to chat with each other about their initial impressions of U.A. High School. They would have invited Izuku into their discussion, but the green-haired teenager was incredibly focused on writing in a burnt notebook. Izuku was muttering under his breath at a rapid pace as he jotted down notes in the notebook.

Eventually, their break came to an end as the school bell rang once again. Immediately upon the first chime, Tenya immediately rose from his seat and marched to the front of the classroom.

"Everyone! The break between classes is over! Please get back to your seats in an orderly and appropriate fashion! We do not want to delay our Modern Hero Art History lesson!" Tenya shouted, moving his arms around in a strange fashion.

"Dude, relax. No need to be so uptight. You're not our teacher." Sero grumbled, as he walked back to his seat.

"Hanta Sero is indeed correct, Tenya Iida. You aren't teacher of the class. Nonetheless, I thank you for attempting to keep order in the class," A husky female voice called out from the door. "You're stalwart, enthusiastic and earnest personality is quite... _arousing_."

"It's Midnight!" Minoru, Hanta, Denki and Izuku all proclaimed simultaneously.

Walking into the classroom, with swaying hips and her hands placed on the back of her head, was a strikingly attractive and buxom woman with sky blue eyes and abundantly spiky dark purple hair of varying lengths. Gohan's breath momentarily hitched as his eyes laid upon her face. Her vividly blue eyes were tilted downwards in the centre, and were framed by a set of rather long eyelashes. A small crimson-red mask outlined her eyes. Her hair was clumped in different lengths, with the longest reaching the back of her and resembling that of a pine-tree in shape. Her chin-length bangs were split into three sections; two were swept to the sides and one was swept over her face, going diagonally down between her eyes.

Feeling his entire face burn up as his onyx eyes inadvertently studied her voluptuous figure, the half-saiyan forced himself to turn his gaze away as she sauntered to stand beside Tenya. It was not her beauty that caused Gohan to avert his eyes. Her costume was one of the most inappropriate attires Gohan had ever seen. A black leather breastless leotard was worn over a flesh-coloured bodysuit. The bodysuit accentuated her curvaceous body, particularly emphasising her legs and ample bosom. The leotard possessed red-gemstone like accessories patterned vertically from the collar to the midriff. She also wore translucent purple thigh-high stockings and black knee-boots. In addition to wearing a handcuff on each wrist, a utility belt held by a red-and-gold domino mask was wrapped around her waist. Attached to a compartment on the utility appeared was a flogger-style whip.

"She looks even better in the flesh!" Though he kept his voice low, the excitement in Mineta's voice was obvious.

"I's really Midnight! She's the 18-Plus Only Hero. Her Quirk allows her to put targets to sleep by exuding an aroma from her body," Izuku's eyes widened as he stared at the curvaceous woman, placing both hands over his mouth as he continued to rapidly gush over her powers. "Her Quirk works better on men than women, so this gives her a clear advantage over men. Still, no matter who it is, they'll fall asleep if they breath in enough aroma. This would make close-range combat with her really tough, making her a formidable-"

"Shut up, Deku!" Bakugo growled.

 _So this really is Midnight? No wonder she's called the 18-Plus Only Hero. Mom would have a field day if she discovered that one of my teachers taught a class in a costume like that._ Gohan thought, poking his cheeks to see if they remained warm. To his disappointment, they still were.

Tenya bowed towards Midnight, "I sincerely apologise on behalf of Class 1-A for any delay caused, ma'am."

As he briskly returned to his seat behind Tsuyu Asui, Midnight lowered her arms from her head and turned to directly face the class, surveying the classroom with an alluring smile. She seemed to be appraising each student with her alluring gaze. What she was attempting to gauge Gohan could not even begin to guess. When her pair of light blue eyes crossed over Gohan's face, she gave him a wink, causing the red-faced half-saiyan to look down at his table in embarrassment.

"Good morning Class 1-A. For those that do not know who I am, I am Nemuri Kayama. You may know me however as the 18-Plus Only Hero: Midnight. I will be your teacher for Modern Hero Art History. I really do hope that you're all enjoying your second day at U.A. High School. I can only hope to sustain your enjoyment with my teachings," Midnight unlatched her whip from her belt and pressed the instrument against her lips, smiling flirtatiously as the class. "I can already see such innocent and pure faces amongst you. That's wonderful. I enjoy seeing such virtue amongst my students. Especially when it is so ripe for the plucking."

 _Wait, what did she say?_

Midnight suddenly cracked her whip against the teacher's podium, startling Gohan and several of his classmates. "Now then, my delectable students, let us move on to the lesson at hand. Our first class will be focusing on an individual who is considered by many within the hero community to be a bastion of modern superhero society. Twenty-three years ago, at the age of thirteen, he singlehandedly overthrew a paramilitary criminal organisation so powerful that not even Earth's Royal Defence Force could stand up to their might. It was not even three years later, when the world was precipitated into utter mayhem and pandemonium, that this hero stopped by a self-proclaimed demon-king and his children from converting our peaceful planet into a living hell."

Midnight's seductive smile transformed into a wide grin, showcasing her bright white teeth. She pointed her whip towards Class 1-A, "Today, my newly minted freshmen, we will be learning about the legendary hero Son Goku!"

* * *

 _I can't believe this is happening._ The flabbergasted half-saiyan was at a loss for words. Blindsided by her announcement, Gohan could do nothing but watch in stunned silence Midnight began her lecture on the revered hero to a feverishly excited Class 1-A. _She's actually going to teach us about my father!_

His mouth agape with confusion, several scattered thoughts rapidly ran through Gohan's brain, threatening to overwhelm his senses. _I was so sure this class would be about the beginnings of the Quirk_ _phenomenon._ _Or_ _at the very least, we'd be learning about the circumstances surrounding Rhode Island New State Statute. That's what legalised the whole Pro Hero System in America, leading for similar legislation to be introduced in Japan._ _Yet here we are - our first lesson is on Dad! The curriculum we were given yesterday never even hinted that our first topic would be about my father._ _Why? In the terms of modern superhero history, Dad's defeat of Daimao is a pretty recent event. There are at least several generations of pro heroes that predate my father. He's not even an official pro hero! Wouldn't he be considered a vigilante? If we have to cover a hero figure for our first lesson, wouldn't they make for more suitable topics?_ _I just never thought we'd be covering him so soon._

One thought however crystallised firmly in Gohan's mind above the rest. _I hope no one figures out that I'm his son. I don't think I could handle that much attention._

"Dude, I can't believe we're actually learning about the Demon Slayer!" Rikido Sato, who sat in front of Gohan, whispered excitedly to Fumikage Tokoyami. "I'm more of a Mr. Satan fan myself, but Goku's pretty badass. The whole reason my dad is a huge martial arts nut is because of him. I'm guessing pretty much all our parents consider him to be a huge deal."

"If it wasn't for Son Goku, all our parents would be buried six feet beneath the ground right now. No one in this classroom would be here today," Tokoyami replied. "The world owes him a great debt. It's just a pity however that no one knows where he is. Or even his current status."

 _If only you knew, Tokoyami._ Gohan thought, nervously scratching the inside of his palm with his fingernails.

"Very little is known about the early life of Son Goku," Midnight stood behind the podium and spoke to Class 1-A. "The first known sighting of him was in a place known as Fungus Town, a remote village located in the west part of Diablo Desert. The town was controlled by a gang known as the Rabbit Mob. According to an account given by one of the townsfolk, Son and his companions liberated Fungus Town by overthrowing the Rabbit Mob and their leader, a man known as Monster Carrot."

Midnight clapped her hands together. "As you can see my dear students, his heroics started even then!"

"A gang leader named Monster Carrot? What kind of stupid name is that?" Mineta wondered.

"Be silent. Our teacher is speaking." Yaoyorozu quietly reprimanded their grape-headed classmate.

 _Oh yeah, Bulma and Yamcha told me about that._ Gohan recalled, his anxiety over the lesson momentarily lapsing as he remembered what his friends had told him. _That was around the time they had all first met; Dad and the others were on a quest to find the Dragon Balls. After visiting Kame House, they had stopped to take a break at Fungus Town while hunting for the final Dragon Ball._

"Any martial arts enthusiast worth their salt would know where the saga of Son Goku takes us next. Son competed at the 21st World Martial Arts Tournament - or the WMAT for short - as one of the representatives for the Turtle School. The Turtle School was a martial arts school founded by the Turtle Hermit Master Roshi, who was Son's sensei. Now, unlike the martial arts tournaments of today, the rules and regulations of older WMAT prohibited cameras, phones and other electronics from being used within the stadium. This ban would later be overturned following the 24th WMAT, which coincidentally was the tournament where Satan Hercule won the title of World Champion. Unfournately, due to this enforced ban, there exists no footage in either an official or bootleg capacity of any tournament proceedings involving Son Goku.

"In any case, what we do know is that Son easily breezed through the elimination rounds, making it to the main tournament. In spite of his youth, he showed considerable prowess as a fighter, progressing to the final round. There, he faced a talented martial artist named Chun Jackie. Sadly, Son would narrowly lose to Chun in the final round, finishing as the runner-up for the tournament."

Ojiro raised his hand to ask a question, "Miss Midnight, I heard a story about the final round of 22nd World Martial Arts Tournament that I've always wondered about. There are those who attended the tournament that claim that Son Goku transformed into a giant ape-like creature during the final round. He almost destroyed the stadium, but reverted back to his human form after Chun removed his tail with a high-powered energy beam. A lot of martial arts historians have tried to disprove this story, but it still persists even to this day. Would you happen to know if there is any truth to it?"

"An excellent question, Mashirao Ojiro!" Midnight pointed her whip towards the long-tailed-teenager. "Unfortunately, I cannot provide you with a definite answer. Even historians incredibly well-versed in the history of competitive martial arts have struggled to reach a definitive conclusion. While there has been testimony given that would indicate such a transformation occurred, such testaments have always been met with incredulity and opposition from many critics. When some witnesses deign to claim that Chun destroyed the moon with a blue energy beam, you would understand why annalists and chroniclers would take claims of great ape transformations seriously. Even if I wished to answer your question, this would force us to study the often divisive question that historians and scholars have long debated over: did Son Goku possess a Quirk? Such a heavily substantial topic is something for us to discuss for a future lesson."

 _A future lesson? So we're gonna have more classes on Dad?_ Gohan's palms began to sweat. _Simply fantastic. Well, at least we've moved past Great Ape transformations._

Ojiro bowed his head towards Midnight, "Thank you, ma'am."

"Do you think it's possible that Son Goku could transform into a huge monkey?" Gohan overheard Sero whisper to Kirishima.

"I doubt it man. Just because he had a tail doesn't mean he could become a kaijū-like gorilla," Kirishima replied in a low voice. "I mean, it's definitely possible, but why didn't he bust out that transformation during his fight with the Demon King? That's the first thing I would have done."

Midnight continued, "Following the 22nd WMAT, it is speculated that Son was sent by the Turtle Hermit to traverse across Japan as a form of training. What historians can agree upon is that Son' travels would eventually lead him to travel to Fire Mountain, a fief of land located to the west of Diablo Desert that was once ruled by the fearsome Ox-King. It is there that he first encountered the Red Ribbon Army."

Ochaco shot up her arm and asked, "Miss Midnight, I've heard about the Red Ribbon Army from my parents, but I've never really understood why they were so feared. What exactly was their goal? How did they become so powerful? Why didn't the pro heroes of that time band together to defeat them? If one person could singlehandedly destroy them, then surely an army of pros could have easily defeated them."

"World domination. That was their goal, Ochaco Uraraka. Plain and simple," Midnight answered in a flat tone. "Nothing remains of the Red Ribbon Army today. They are now defunct - a forgotten relic of a bygone time. People often compare them to the Metal Liberation Army, a similarly infamous villain group who opposed the worldwide governments. Rest assured, you'll be learning about them in a future lesson. But those two villain organisations had completely contrasting ideologies. When they first formed however, the Red Ribbon Army came onto the scene at a time when society was in the final stages of its adaptation to the emergence of Quirks. The Army was founded in Japan, by a group of disgruntled Quirkless individuals who were dissatisfied with the new status quo.

"Their leader was a man known simply in the annals of history as the diminutive Commander Red. It was he whom the Army was named after for. They wished to return the world to how it was before the Quirk Phenomenon; they were the final manifestation of all the hatred, bigotry and xenophobia that had been previously levied at those with Quirks. They attracted thousands upon thousands of restless, radical civilians who remained intolerant and prejudiced against Quirks. Their ranks expanded until eventually, they were the largest and most powerful criminal organisation in the world.

"The Royal Defence Force and many pro heroes initially did nothing to reign in the Red Ribbon Army, despite the fact that they had repeatedly skirmished with the military forces of the various governments across the world. In spite of their fearsome reputation and militaristic strength, there were many at first who simply wrote them off as a glorified hate-group - similar to the Klu Klux Klan in America. In fairness to them, many of the Army's operations were kept private and discreet. No one knew exactly what they wanted. However, things began to change when the Army began kidnapping innocent men, women and children in the Japanese country. They would raid villages and towns in remote areas of Japan - as to avoid alerting official authorities - and forcefully take people who possessed Quirks. It was soon discovered that the Red Ribbon Army were brainwashing these people to serve them as mindless foot soldiers."

"That's awful!" Hagakure cried out.

"Indeed it is awful, young Hagakure," Midnight agreed. "The Red Ribbon Army were planning a hostile takeover of Japan. They sent out their forces - each led by an officer named after a different colour - to the north and northeast of Japan. This was to begin their invasion. Once Japan was under their control, they would move onto the rest of the world! Despite possessing incredibly advanced machinery, automations and weaponry, the technology created by the Army was still inferior to that manufactured by Capsule Corporation. There is no two minds on this planet comparable to Bulma Brief and her father. As well, even with their growing strength, there was no conceivable way for them to conquer Japan without a large body of Quirk shock-troopers who could effectively combat the pro heroes. To that end, it was estimated that they kidnapped and successfully indoctrinated nearly two hundred individuals. Those that fell in line were made scattered across the various divisions of the Army. Those who did not...well, I'm sure you can imagine what happened to them."

Class 1-A were gazing at Midnight in rapt silence. Students such as Mineta and Kaminari - who were both clearly besotted with the attractive Midnight - were only paying attention due to their entrancement with her beauty. Most of the other students however seemed to be enthralled with Midnight's relaying of history. Even Gohan, who was already well-versed in the history of the former paramilitary organisation, was interested in the perspective Midnight was offering. It was not often that Gohan would hear the exploits of his father from a source unconnected to the Son family. It was actually refreshing to learn about how others viewed his father, even if it was in a historical context.

Midnight carried on, "Twenty-three years ago, the Red Ribbon Army launched their invasion of Japan, with a force powerful enough to combat the armies of multiple governments. Before King Furry and the Royal Defence Force had realised what had happened, the Army had already conquered Hokkaidō Island. The Japanese division of the Royal Defence Force was immobilised to neutralise the Army, but suffered a catastrophic loss at the Battle of Koriyama City. Such a devastating defeat forced the Royal Defence Force to retreat, having lost nearly three-fourths of their units in the battle. With little opposition, the Army advanced through the mountainous Tōhoku region. They captured the Akita and Aomori prefectures, and would have moved to conquer Fukushima. However, before they could descend on the prefecture, they were stopped by a certain monkey-tailed teenager."

Kirishima pumped his right arm into the air, "They didn't count on Son Goku being a total unstoppable badass!"

"Correct, Kirishima!" Midnight winked at the red-haired boy. "Historians have been unable to agree on the exact circumstances as to how Son Goku defeated the Red Ribbon Army. Much of what we know about that time period is still not considered conclusive , what historians have come to understand is that Son Goku and several of his companions somehow liberated Hokkaidō Island from the Army's occupation forces. They then moved to Akita and Aomori. In spite of several setbacks, Son and his companions managed to overwhelm the Red Ribbon Army's forces, freeing those prefectures. Forced to regroup, the Army retreat back to their headquarters, which was located in Korin's Forest. What they did not count on however was that Son himself would be brave enough to chase after them.

Midnight pointed her whip towards the ceiling, raising her voice as she said, "Seeking to stop their evil ways, Son attacked their headquarters and defeated what remained of the Army's high-command! Commander Red and Staff Officer Black were killed during the assault. Leaderless, and with much of their total strength destroyed, what remained of the Army fled throughout northeast Japan. Thankfully, Son Goku appeared to have had the good sense to not kill the Quirk users who had been brainwashed by the Red Ribbon Army. Those who had refused to submit to the Army - awaiting either execution or further attempts at indoctrination - were freed from their holding cells by Son. The fact that we even know about the operations of the Red Ribbon Arm is because several survivors of the Army's brainwashing experiments gave detailed accounts of their experiences as prisoners to scholars of Son's conflict with the Army."

 _No one ever told me about this._ Gohan thought, scrunching up his eyebrows in curiosity. _Dad, Bulma, Yamcha, Master Roshi, Oolong...they didn't mention anything about kidnapped Quirk-users. So Dad didn't just leave immediately after finding the dragonballs. He actually stayed for a while to help those who had been enslaved._

Asui raised her hand, "Miss Midnight, isn't it true that a large group consisting of Japanese police officers and pro heroes marched on the headquarters of the Red Ribbon Army, only to discover it abandoned? The Red Ribbon Army had disbanded after Son defeated their leaders."

"That is correct, Asui. When news of the Red Ribbon Army's conquest of Hokkaidō Island reached the southern regions of Japan, with the permission of King Furry, the National Police Agency organised a small army to take on the Red Ribbon Army. Heroes such as Crimson Riot, Air Jet, Snatch, Native, Yoroimusha, Crust, Gran Torino, Mind Thrower, Arctic Hand, Master Dynamo, Lady Bombardier and Floroshot banded together. Joining the NPA for a joined Hero-Police alliance, they marched on the Red Ribbon Army's headquarters."

Gohan did not recognise any of the names that Midnight had listed off, but from the excited reactions they elicited from his classmates, he could assume that many of these heroes were very well-known in the superhero community. Though, there was one name missing from that list that stuck out to Gohan like a sore thumb.

"Ma'am, I was wondering: where was All Might during this time?" Izuku asked their teacher. "I'm surprised he didn't join the Hero-Police Alliance to stop the Red Ribbon Army."

Bakugo snorted, "Of course you would ask that, Deku."

"All Might was not in Japan at that time, young Midoriya," Midnight told the green-haired boy, ignoring Bakugo's snide comment. "He was operating as a pro hero in America during the Red Ribbon Army's attempted invasion of Japan. Continuing on from where I left off, the Hero-Police Alliance arrived at the headquarters, only to find it deserted. The only people who remained at the headquarters were the Quirk users who had been liberated by Son following his attack on the base. You see my lovely students, not all these Quirk users fled the base immediately upon being freed. Some were too ill or too injured, while others were still too mentally scarred from the experiments the Army had inflicted upon them. Fortunately for them, the Red Ribbon Army had left enough water and rations in their headquarters to feed an entire village."

"Ma'am?" Ashido was the next student to ask a question. "What happened to those Quirk users who were brainwashed by the Red Ribbon Army? Were they rehabilitated?"

"Thankfully, young Ashido, most were. When the Hero-Police Alliance arrived at the Red Ribbon Army's headquarters, they took those disoriented Quirk users into their custody. After a lengthy period of recovery and recuperation, the majority were able to be released back to their homes, with remuneration from the Japanese government. Others however were not so fortunate."

Midnight left it at that. She didn't need to explain any further - her words had already painted a vivid picture for Class 1-A.

"What happened to all the men and women who served in the Red Ribbon Army, ma'am? Were they arrested?" Tokoyami asked.

"No, not everyone. The Army's forces had been in the thousands. All those who had deserted had essentially defected, scattered to the four winds. Besides the high-ranking officers, it was impossible to account for every person who had served as apart of the criminal organisation. Still, those who had held prominent positions within the hierarchy of the paramilitary organisation were eventually routed out and sentenced accordingly. Colonels Silver, Violet and Copper for example were found hiding in Kyoto City. They were each separately trialed, though all were sentenced to life imprisonment."

Tenya's arm rocketed into the air to ask a question, while using his other arm to straighten his glasses, "I just don't understand, ma'am. I have done much research on the Red Ribbon Army in my free time. They are considered by many to have been one of the first major criminal groups to have posed a serious threat to our nation. And most of the Army was Quirkless! How could the Red Ribbon Army have ever possibly hoped to win? Let's pretend for a moment that Son Goku did not intervene. Even if the Army had somehow managed to conquer the northeast Japan, the other regions of the country would have rallied together to defeat them. At least 75% of the population of Japan at the time possessed Quirks. By some miraculous circumstance that they proved to be too strong, King Furry could have sent for and deployed troops from the United States, Australia, South Korea, China.

"I just..I just cannot fathom how they could have thought victory was in their grasp!"

"Young Iida, that is a question many have asked. I myself included," Midnight smiled at the bespectacled teen. "However, while we do know of the Army's motive, no one knows for sure how they planned to win an inevitable global war between themselves and the rest of the nations under the rule of King Furry. There were rumours circulating at that time that the Army were looking for a secret weapon to aid them in their wars. Whatever it was, or even if it existed, not even the survivors of the conflict know. Regardless, although powerful in their own right, their strength would have been no match against a united global front."

Gohan clenched his hands into fists, pressing his knuckles against each other. _They weren't willing to achieve world domination by force. They wanted the Dragon Balls. And if they had found all seven and summoned Shenron, who knows how the world would be like now._

The half-saiyan was thankful that the Dragon Balls were only considered a mythical legend amongst the worldwide populace. He doubted that anyone - beyond Gohan and the other Z-Fighters - knew of their existence. Even if someone outside their circle was aware of the orange crystalline spheres, collecting all seven from across the planet without a Dragon Radar would be impossible. He could not imagine the untold chaos that could be unleashed on the world if a super-villain found the set of seven five-pointed star balls.

Midnight locked her fingers together and placed both her hands on the top of her head, provocatively thrusting her chest forward as she arched her lower back, "But enough about the Red Ribbon Army! From the impatient look on some of your ripely virginial faces, I can tell what you're really interested in hearing about. The final part of our first lesson will be covering the Daimao Piccolo's rise and eventual defeat at the hands of Son Goku!"

Class 1-A collectively looked at Midnight with keen anticipation. Gohan noticed several students glance at each other with ecstatic grins stretched across their faces. His classmates' eagerness somewhat surprised Gohan. Although he knew that his father was a popular and admired figure in the superhero community, he had not truly realised the extent to which his father was revered. From the whispers and murmurs that Gohan had been able to make out throughout their Modern Hero Art History lesson, his classmates seemed to hold his father in high esteem. Even Bakugo looked interested in what Midnight had to say.

"It was the 22nd World Martial Arts Tournament," Midnight began. "Three years following his defeat of the Red Ribbon Army, Son once again competed in the martial arts competition as a student of the Turtle School. However, he was not the only one representing the famous martial arts school. Those among you who are major league sports fans would know that the pro baseball player Rekishiyoma Yamcha was once a martial arts student under the tutelage Master Roshi. He also competed in the tournament alongside Son Goku."

 _Krillin also competed. He was a Turtle School student. She forgot to mention him during the 21st WMAT as well. I know he isn't as well-known as Yamcha or my father, but he was still one of Master Roshi's students. And he's my father's best friend._

"Oh yeah, that's right! I always forget that The Wolf was a martial artist before he began his baseball career," Kirishima said. "Rekishiyoma's not only the best player in Puro Yakyū, but for my money, he's one of the all-time greats. He's up there wit the all-stars like Suzuki Ichiro and Matsuzaka Daisuke. No one can match him as a pitcher. And don't get me started on his batting ability! He's so wickedly badass!"

"The Taitans should count their lucky stars that Rekishiyoma continues to stick by them, especially after last season," Bakugo said in a low voice. "The only reason the Taitans made it to the Japan Series last season was because unlike his other teammates, he actually gave two shits about winning. If I was Rekishiyoma, I would cut myself from that fucking worthless team."

"I hate to say it, but that Bakugo guy has a point. Taitans would be down in the gutter without the Wolf at their side." Ochaco whispered to Gohan.

Gohan looked at Ochaco, raising an eyebrow in surprise, "Uraraka, you're a baseball fan?"

"Yeah, my dad is a massive fan, so I kinda grew up surrounded by all things baseball. It's practically ingrained in my being," Ochaco quietly told him. "We're both Yomiuri Giants supporters."

 _Huh, I wouldn't have pegged her as a baseball fan_. Gohan thought as Midnight continued her lecture. _Then again, the only reason I know anything about baseball is because of Yamcha. And those baseball books my mom would make me read as a kid._

"During the preliminaries, Son Goku defeated the champion of the 20th WMAT King Champa, as well Pamput Panput in the quarter-finals. He was a Muay Thai kickboxer and at the time, quite the famous movie-star. Eventually making it to the final round, Son faced the martial artist Shinhan Tien. Shinhan was a student of the Crane School - a martial arts school headed by the Crane Hermit Master Shen, a rival of Master Roshi. Son was once again narrowly defeated in the final round, leaving Shinhan as the winner of the 22nd World Martial Arts Tournament.

"However, as the tournament concluded, tragedy struck," Midnight pressed her whip to the tip of her nose, obscuring her mouth. "A vile and wicked villain - who resembled that of a humanoid-gargoyle - attacked the stadium. The individual was known as Tambourine. Before anyone could register what was happening, those who remained at the tournament grounds were massacred by Tambourine. No one who crossed his path was spared. However, a few were able to escape the massacre by hiding or pretending to be dead. From what historians have learned from these survivors, the villain was sent by someone to procure a list of all the current and previous finalists of the World Martial Arts Tournaments. That someone - the entire world would discover - was his father, the Great Demon King Piccolo."

"Miss Midnight, where did the Demon King come from?" Yaoyorozu asked. "I will admit to have been deeply curious about the Reign of the Demon King as a young girl. Part of my fascination with that period of time was due to my parents' tales of their experiences in a post-Piccolo world. However, whether it be a textbook, news article, historical journal or documentary, nothing has ever conclusively disclosed upon the Demon King's origin."

"King Piccolo's origin is contested among historians and scholars, young Yaoyorozu," Midnight was frank with her answer. "In regards to his history, there is nothing factually concrete. All we have are myths, legends and fables. I don't normally like to discuss unsubstantiated claims or stories in my class, but by the nubile looks you freshmen are shooting my way, I can tell that many of you are interested in learning more.

"One particularly popular narrative that exists in Japanese folklore purports Daimao to have first appeared nearly one thousand years ago, terrorising Earth and helplessly killing helpless civilians with the aid of his offspring. It would take an alliance of the world's greatest martial artists to stop him. And even then, they did not have the strength to kill him. In the ruins of a city that the Demon King had destroyed, a master martial artist known as Mutaito sacrificed himself to trap Daimao in a mystical containment unit. Following his imprisonment, as cities were slowly rebuilt and the world was gradually repopulated, people eventually forget that King Piccolo even existed. That is one legend told about the Demon King. Myths and tales vary from nation to nation. The question remains however: was the King Piccolo mentioned in those legends the same individual who attempted to subjugate the world twenty years ago? Was he a descendant? Or were they completely unrelated? My dear students, your guess is as good as mine."

While Midnight had been regaling them of this story, Gohan noticed that many of his classmates have been jotting down notes, latching onto the every word of their sultry teacher. Although there was no need for the eldest son of Goku to take notes on this particular subject, the half-saiyan nonetheless made sure to scribble a few dot-points into his notebook.

 _I can only imagine what their reaction would be if they found out that what they believe to be a bedtime story is completely true._ Gohan thought. _I never really thought about it, but wouldn't Daimao and his children technically be the first villains? By that line of thought, Master Mutaito and his pupils would be the first heroes. Wouldn't that kinda make Master Roshi more of a precursor to superhero society than my dad. Huh, imagine that._

"Regardless of where he came from, the self-titled Demon King emerged out of the shadows of darkness to conquer the world. After the massacre at the tournament stadium, Tambourine went on a mass-killing spree. He tracked down and murdered many of the previous competitors of the World Martial Arts Tournament, such as King Champa, Man-Wolf, Bacterian and Pamput, to name a few. It is theorised that King Piccolo sent out Tambourine to eliminate anyone whom he deemed as a threat to his ascension. This did not just stop at prominent martial artists. Many a pro hero - attempting to stop Tambourine from cleaving out a bloody path - were mercilessly killed by the villain.

"However, Tambourine's sanguinary and vicious trail of murder and infamy would come to an abrupt end. Son Goku is believed to have been the one to kill Tambourine, ending the string of violent murders. Angered by the death of his son, the Demon King personally confronted Son Goku and defeated him, leaving him for dead. As the news spread across Japan of the series of murders committed by Tambourine, King Piccolo had decided to overthrow King Furry and usurp his title as King of Earth. The Demon King arrived at Central City - which all of you should know to be the capital of our Unified Earth Kingdom - as King Furry was celebrating his tenth-anniversary as ruler of the Dragon World. Removed from the King Castle, King Furry was forced to concede his title as King of Earth after Piccolo destroyed the entirety of his Kingsguard and obliterated half of Central City. Holding His Majesty captive, Piccolo had usurped the throne in a sudden and unexpected coup d'état."

Midnight looked sombrely at Class 1-A. "I was a very, _very_ young girl during the Reign of the Demon King. Yet, my memory of that time is so vivid and so transparent. I'm sure this sentiment is shared by many of your parents and grandparents. I can still remember the look of utter shock and horror on my parents face when Daimao first appeared on our television screen, announcing his dominion over the Dragon World. Everyone - regardless of whether they were a pro hero, a civilian or even a villain - were completely taken by surprise by the news of his usurpation of the throne. After the self-titled Demon King finished gloating about his victory, he declared new laws for the Unified Earth Kingdom. These evil policies that he attempted to institute included banning police and pro hero activity, decriminalising any action that have previously been deemed unlawful, releasing all criminals from imprisonment and for the words "peace" and "justice" to banned from the global vocabulary."

Ashido once again raised her hand, "There's no way law enforcement authorities actually followed the Demon King's new laws, right ma'am? No matter how powerful King Piccolo was, I just can't believe that any pro hero would allow themselves to be cowed by an usurper. That just doesn't seem right."

"Luckily, Ashido, most law enforcement agencies across the world refused to recognise Piccolo's coup d'état. I can't speak for the rest of the world, but I know for a fact that in Japan, there were only a handful of pro heroes who bowed down to King Piccolo's will. None of them thankfully currently hold hero licenses." Midnight answered, slightly grimacing at the last part of her sentence.

"Pro heroes and the National Police Force banded together once more to rebel against the rule of the new tyrant. And to keep the peace. Villains, violent civilians, rogue police and Piccolo-supporters swarmed the streets and countrysides, hoping to take advantage of the chaos and confusion. For the first twelve hours, it was utter anarchy. Murder, rioting, arson, theft, rape, looting, assault were commonplace across the world as both the heroes and police struggled to establish order. My parents and I witnessed on the news the bedlam that was occurring in Japanese cities. Thankfully, order was indeed eventually brought to the chaos. However, within the first twenty-four hours of King Piccolo's coup, it is speculated that over one-hundred-thousand people were killed around the world."

"'Maybe there is a beast...maybe it's only us'." Shoto Todoroki muttered under his breath.

 _He quoted Lord of the Flies. Specifically Chapter 5._ Gohan realised as he glanced to his left, regarding the sullen teenager with a curious stare. _That quote...yeah I remember. It was dialogue from the character Simon. It was meant to imply that there is an evil inherent in human nature._

Lord of the Flies was a very old English novel, written over one-hundred-and-thirty years ago by a British author named William Golding. As a young teen, during his sessions for Classic English Literature, his tutor had made him read that novel. Unlike most of the other novels that he had been required to read, Gohan had found the novel rather fascinating. The half-saiyan could not count how many times he had reread that novel. It had rather eye-opening, especially in regards to the nature of people when the trappings and rules of modern society were dissolved.

 _It's an old novel, but rather relevant to this discussion._ Gohan wryly thought. _Even with all the good and non-corrupt heroes and police officers, when the chips are down and the rules of a peaceful society are dismantled, it's scary to think how many people would blindly indulge in destructive impulses_

As if sensing the half-saiyan's rested gaze, the aloof teenager sharply pivoted his head, catching Gohan's gaze with a cold stare. "Is there something wrong?"

Gohan gulped, his onyx eyes widening as he briskly shook his head. "Oh no. Sorry, I didn't mean to-it's just...um, it's nothing."

Todoroki narrowed his eyes at the half-saiyan, a slight frown cast over his scarred face, his before turning his head to fix their teacher with a vacant expression.

Gohan breathed out a small sigh of relief, though could not help but feel somewhat disquieted by the frostiness of Todoroki's piercing stare. Gohan could not exactly place his finger on the exact reason, but something about the way Todoroki had looked at him bothered him. He could understand a look of mild annoyance or discomfort. Instead, it appeared to Gohan that Todoroki had cast him a look of suspicion.

 _You're being paranoid, Gohan. Why would he be suspicious?_ Gohan reassured himself. _You haven't even said or done anything this entire period. Besides, what would he even be suspicious about?_

"-after swiftly repelling an organised hero assault on King Castle with the help of his remaining children, King Piccolo grew angry at the continued resistance of his new subjects to his rule," Gohan concentrated back on Midnight. "Wishing to curb the insurgents, the Demon King devised a lottery system where he would destroy a province in the Unified World Kingdom as both a punishment and as a testament to his usurpation of the Dragon Throne. The number he randomly chose, which was 29, signified West Japan. However, before he could depart for the region, Tien Shinhan confronted the Demon King and his sons at the castle. The winner of the 22nd World Martial Arts Tournament, wishing to defeat Daimao, fought the son known as Drum, but was defeated. However, before he could be killed, he was saved by the sudden appearance of Son Goku, who swiftly killed Drum."

"And so the battle between Piccolo and the Demon Slayer began!" Kirishima announced enthusiastically.

"You are correct, my frisky student," Midnight's lips curled up into a playful smile. "Now, unless any of you have been living under a rock, I'm sure all of you know what happened next. Or at the very least, you've watched the video of Son's battle with the Demon King on YouTube. I'm confident that most of you have seen it - it is after all the third most-viewed on the site. And what an incredible fight it was! Not since the days of All Might's prime - or the Gold Fighters from the Cell Games - have we seen anything like that!"

 _Yeah, I remember Bulma showing Goten and me that video a few years back._ The recollection of that particular memory brought a smile to Gohan's face. _No Super Saiyan transformation. Just pure martial instinct. Dad was absolutely amazing. When it came to fighting, it didn't matter who he faced or how powerful they were. In the end, he'd always came out on top._

"The recording cuts off before Son delivers the final strike, but in the end, we know that the Demon King finally succumbed to the might of Son Goku," Midnight showcased to Class 1-A a proud, triumphant grin. "Now, as the battle between Son and King Piccolo was occurring, an army of pro heroes from all across Japan had assembled outside of Central City. Heroes from the likes of All Might and Endeavour, who at the time were young and fresh-faced. As well, older and more seasoned pro heroes such as Yoroimusha, Gran Torino, Red Dragon, Hungry Heart, Nuclear Knuckles, Fab Four, Stardust Queen, Star Sentinel, Mistress Penance and Nighthawk also made up this sizeable army. A Hero Liberation Army. Their goal? To defeat the villainous Piccolo and restore King Furry to his rightful throne. However, by the time they arrived at the King's Castle, the Demon King had already been vanquished."

As Midnight finished her last sentence, it seemed to Gohan that the entirety of Class 1-A had let out a collective sigh of relief.

Ashido raised her hand to ask another question, "Miss Midnight-ma'am, what happened to Son Goku? He didn't just disappear, right?"

"Unfournately my dear, he did," Midnight answered. "It was like he was a cowboy from those old American westerns, or a samurai from a Kurosawa film. Once the Demon King had been defeated, he simply vanished. Almost as if into thin air. Of course, as most of you are already aware, he would appear once more in the canals of history during the 23rd World Martial Arts Tournament. However, at that moment in time, he was gone."

Gohan shifted in his seat, placing his hands on his thighs. He knew exactly where his father had gone to after his battle with King Piccolo. Yajirobe was an unspoken hero in this story. After his father had defeated the Demon King, The portly man had taken him to Korin Tower for recovery. After his injuries had been healed by the Cat Hermit, his father had trained for three years with Kami and Mr. Popo on the Lookout. In those three years, the training he had underwent as a student of the Guardian of Earth had made his father a remarkably powerful warrior. The strongest fighter on Earth, being rivalled only by Piccolo and the other Z-Fighters.

 _Well, that was the case until the arrival of the saiyans. But that's a whole other story._ Gohan thought.

"The Hero Liberation Army arrived at King's Castle. Though Son Goku was nowhere to be found, King Furry was safe and sound, imprisoned by Piccolo-loyalists. They freed him from captivity and restored him to the Dragon Throne. His Royal Majesty was reinstated as King of the Unified Dragon World!" Midnight exclaimed. "King Furry's restoration to the throne was broadcast across the seven corners of the world. His Highness decreed King Piccolo's brief reign to be avoided; therefore all the laws and policies that the Demon King had attempted to implement were invalid. Null and void, as if they never existed. As such, all those villains who had taken advantage of the chaos and confusion to commit crimes were liable to be prosecuted."

"Thank Kami for that," Sato raised up his hands triumphantly. "Those guys were criminals. Piccolo was just an usurper. And a total psychopath."

"Yeah, that guy was a total green-skinned freak!" Mineta cried out, resting his chin against the top of his table. "I bet we didn't even need Son Goku. Sure, he's cool and all. But if Mr. Satan had been given the chance, he could have easily kicked his ass. Just as he did with Cell."

"For some reason, I highly doubt that." Ojiro said in a low voice, while Mezo Shoji nodded beside him in silent agreement.

"In any case, even as order was quickly restored to the world through the intervention of pro heroes, the royal military and other law enforcement agencies, the immediate ramifications of the Demon King's reign of terror had already deeply impacted the world. Those anarchic days had seen many cities, villages and towns pillaged and plundered. Pyromaniacs had burnt city blocks to the ground, while buildings and houses had been completely levelled. However, although this sheer level of destruction had significantly damaged the global economy, it was still something that could be repaired. And in time, it was. Worst of all, there had been enormous losses in life - many men, women and children had been killed by sadistic and murderous criminals."

Izuku raised his hand, "Miss Midnight, didn't the First Great Resurrection Miracle undo all the deaths that had occurred during the Reign of the Demon King? I remember reading that it transpired only a few days after the Son Goku's defeat of Piccolo."

"Indeed you are correct, young Midoriya," Midnight winked flirtatiously at the green-haired boy, causing him to blush. "Days after the Demon King was defeated, an inexplicable, almost supernatural event occurred. All those that had been killed during the events that had previously unfolded were miraculously resurrected. What caused such a circumstance to occur, all anyone can offer are theories. No one has been able to conclusively prove how over a hundred thousand people all across the planet were brought back from the dead. Was it an act of Kami to reward Son Goku's valiant efforts? The work of a powerful Quirk? Magic? I cannot answer."

 _It definitely wasn't a Quirk. Kami resurrected Shenron, allowing Yamcha, Bulma and the others to wish for everyone to come back._

"My parents think it was Kami himself who did it," The invisible Hagakure turned her in her seat, speaking to the rest of Class 1-A. "There's no way it could've been a Quirk, or magic. During King Piccolo's rampage, my parents lost many of their friends. Yet before they could be buried, they were revived. They just woke up in the mortuary. They themselves couldn't explain what happened. To them, it was like they were trapped in an a dark and twisted limbo."

"Yeah, my uncle said the exact same thing," Kaminari's voice was uncharacteristically solemn. "He was killed trying to stop that Tambourine guy from murdering King Champa. He always told us that it was like being trapped in a total state of nothingness - you can't move, sleep, eat, or even see anything. To him, the world just turned to black."

Gohan furrowed his eyebrows in confusion. That did not sound like the afterlife that he knew of. From what his father and Krillin had told him, the Other World was like a celestial bureaucracy. King Yemma was the judge of the death - the king of ogres determined who was sent to Heaven or Hell, depending on the life they had lived . As well, Gohan remembered that most people came to the Other World in spirit form. It was only people of exceptional character who were allowed to retain their bodies upon passing onto the other side.

"That doesn't sound consistent to the accounts given by the victims of Cell. And those were in the tens of millions, _ribbit_ ," Asui spoke out. "After the Second Great Resurrection Miracle, everyone who came back described the afterlife as being almost like a Chinese palace atop the clouds. I remember someone claiming that anyone who had died had to go through a check-in station, which separated Earth and the afterlife."

"It's so crazy to think about life after death," Kyoka Jiro commented. "A documentary I watched on the Cell Games claimed that some big king-like ogre judged whether you had been a good or bad person. I don't know if that's true or not, but since so many people claim it to be the truth, it's something to consider."

"Yeah, I read somewhere that most people weren't even allowed to keep their bodies," Hanta Sero nodded towards Jiro. "Like, they appeared like spirits to each other, waiting to be judged. It's so freaking weird and scary, yet at the same time so interesting."

"Can we just get on with the damn lesson?" Bakugo groaned from his seat, slouching in his seat. "All this talk about the afterlife and death is giving me a headache. Who cares what happens after we die? Boring! Can we just hurry it up and finish this stupid lesson? I can't believe all you losers worship that monkey-tailed freak like he's a god!"

"Harsh, but I must agree with young Bakugo. Well, except for the last part, of course. But we're all entitled to our opinions." Midnight wagged a finger at the class. "Theories and conjectures on this topic can wait after class. I'm sure all of you have your own opinions about this particular matter. As compelling as it may be, it has no bearing on our current discussion."

 _Huh. So so Bakugo isn't a fan of my dad. That's...that's not surprising in the slightest._ Gohan dryly thought.

"We're in home stretch of your first Modern Hero Art History lesson, so look alive everyone!"

Class 1-A collectively nodded at the 18-Plus Hero, readying themselves for the final part of Midnight's lecture.

"Several weeks after Daimao's defeat, King Furry announced that a ceremony would be held to honour Son Goku's contributions to the Dragon World. This included his defeat of both the Red Ribbon Army and King Piccolo. His Royal Majesty was to personally gift Son the Blue Star Medal - the highest honour anyone on Earth can receive. I'm sure all of you are aware that Mr. Satan was the last person to be awarded such an honour for his defeat of Cell. However, Son wasn't around to receive his award. Why? Well, no one really knows."

"Isn't that kinda disrespectful? I mean, yeah he saved the world and all, but King Furry is still the ruler of the planet. And despite all the power he wields, he's a good king. Even the World Champion knew to pay his respects to His Majesty after the Cell Games. I hope he wasn't insulted by Son's absence." Sero wondered.

"I highly doubt that Son was trying to slight the King with his absence." Ojiro quickly replied to Sero. "He was probably off training in the wilderness, trying to get stronger before the next World Tournament."

"I agree with Ojiro," The muscular Shoji nodded towards the tailed-teen. "He probably wasn't even _aware_ that such a ceremony was being conducted in his honour. When news reporters and journalists arrived at Kame House to interview Son following his battle with the Demon King, he wasn't even present. Even his confidants at the time - fellow Turtle School student Krillin Ito, Bulma Briefs, Yamcha Rekishiyoma and Muten Roshi - had no clue as to his whereabouts. And those were his closest friends."

Midnight pushed her red mask to rest atop her forehead, her eyes flashing as she said, "Excellent comments all around, my intrepid students. I truly doubt myself that King Furry was offended by Son Goku's absence. Otherwise, he probably wouldn't have decreed the day of Son's defeat of the Demon King a worldwide celebratory holiday!"

 _January 5._ Gohan thought, a small smile spread across his face. That was the day where the entire world celebrated his father's victory over the Demon King. It was called Son Goku Day. Although the Son family had never formally celebrated the holiday, Gohan and Goten's mother had always prepared for her sons a large feast filled with a variety of different foods. Many of which had been the favourites of his father. It was a small gesture, but it was their special way of honouring his sacrifice.

A sacrifice that the majority of people on Earth would never know about.

"We'll deal with Son's involvement in the 23rd World Martial Arts Tournament in our next lesson together, as well as his impact on modern hero society. I'll be ending our first lesson here. I'm sure your minds are positively abuzz with all that we've covered in this class alone. I don't want to overwhelm you all with too much information. And I'm sure you still have quite a number of questions and queries about what've we learnt. Excellent! Please hold onto them and ask away at the beginning of our next class together. I for one believe this lesson to have been rather stimulating." Midnight gave the class an amorous smile.

"As it is our first class together, for homework, I wish for all of you to write a reflective response on what we've learnt in class today. I wish for you all to reveal your most intimate thoughts and observations...in relation to the topic of Son Goku. When writing your response, ask yourself why people revere the monkey-tailed hero so much, as well as his impact on both superhero society and beyond. As well, at the bare minimum, your response must be six-hundred words."

As the class collectively groaned, Midnight cracked her whip once more, a dangerous smile forming on her lips. "Now now, boys and girls, don't complain. I guarantee that once you sit down and actually start writing, you'll be pleasing yourself in a far greater manner than you would originally anticipated."

"Yeah, somehow I doubt that." Bakugo said in a gruff manner.

"Deep inside your response, I would like for you all to answer a question," Midnight continued, ignoring Bakugo's comment. "There is no right or wrong answer, so feel to respond to how you which. It is only your opinion I'm after. When you answer the question, I'd recommend reading Chapter 13 of your history textbook, as we'll be referring to that chapter repeatedly during our next lesson. Now, the question is this: 'why do you believe that U.A. High School freshmen curriculum starts the Modern Hero Art History course with the topic of Son Goku'?"

 _That...that's what I've been wondering this whole time._ Gohan couldn't help but think. _Logically, shouldn't we start with-?_

"I admit, Miss Midnight, I am indeed very curious as to the reason myself," It didn't come as a surprise to the half-saiyan that Tenya was the one to respond first. "After the Entrance Exam, I would never dare to so boldly question U.A.'s judgement, but surely there are other topics that would be far more appropriate to learn about first."

"But Son Goku's so cool!" Ashido called out. "What better way to start off a history lesson than with him? He defeated the Red Ribbon Army when he was like twelve, and that Piccolo guy when he was fifteen. Yeah, I know he technically wasn't a pro, but he's way more awesome than most of the heroes out there today. Well, except for All Might, of course."

"Yeah, Ashido's right," Kirishima sported a wide grin across his face as he turned in his seat to face the class. "I still can't believe that someone around our age was able to defeat someone so powerful. And without proper hero training as well. I can't even imagine what we'll all be able to accomplish once we become real heroes."

 _I can only imagine as well_ _, Kirishima._ Gohan thought, a small smile dawning on his face as he began to write Midnight's question in his notebook. _Once I graduate, I can only hope to be a hero like All Might. And of course, my dad._

* * *

Upon the conclusion of their first Modern Hero Art History, Gohan and his fellow classmates made their way to the main dining hall at U.A. High School for lunch. Lunch Rush Cafeteria was a large food court located in the middle of the lower floor of the main building. The half-saiyan was pleased to find that the enormous cafeteria was only a few hundred metres away by walking distance from Class 1-A's homeroom. Entering the cafeteria through large double doors, Gohan immediately noted the Chinese-themed decorations that adorned the dining hall. The mess hall was slowly overflowing with students; all three academic years and all four departments were represented in the dining hall.

Several specialised venues had been set up throughout the cafeteria for the students to order food. After receiving a receipt, they would head to the serving area and wait to collect their order. The brochure that Gohan had received with his acceptance letter had indicated that the pro hero Lunch-Rush was the head chef of the grand mess hall. He was the one who prepared and served the meals for the students at U.A. High School. Gohan assumed that Lunch-Rush had a Quirk that either allowed him to materialise food, or one that granted him the proficiency and speed to cook for over two hundred students.

"Hey, you guys go ahead and order. It's getting pretty packed. I try and find us a table near the middle of the cafeteria, since that's where it seems the least crazy." Gohan said as Izuku, Ochaco and Tenya lined up to order.

Ochaco looked at him with a slightly confused expression. "Aren't you gonna order, Gohan?"

Gohan shook his head. "No, I don't need too. My mom already packed me lunch. She'd kill me if I ate someone else' cooking."

 _Besides, no matter how good the meals that Lunch-Rush prepares, I highly doubt that they'll even come close to my mom's cooking. Nobody can beat her at that._ Gohan suppressed the urge to grin. _Plus, even with all the affordable prices for the first-rate cuisine offered, I'd probably make our family bankrupt within the first semester if I bought food from U.A._

As his friends continued to wait for their turn to order, Gohan made his way through the cafeteria, his onyx eyes scanning the bustling dining hall for an unoccupied long table. Weaving through gaggles of students, he soon found one near the middle of the cafeteria, situated beside a small group consisting of four older-looking students. Taking a seat at the far end of the table, Gohan pulled out out a DynoCap from his pocket and clicked it open, before resting it on the middle of the tabletop.

 _Poof!_ Once the smoke from the capsule had cleared, a wooden serving tray appeared on the table, taking up at least a one-fifth of the surface-top. Gohan rubbed his hands together, his face fostering a small but eager grin as he reached for the first dish

Several minutes would lapse by before Izuku, Tenya and Ochaco were able to collect their respective orders from the serving area. When the trio of freshmen eventually found the table that Gohan was sitting at, they were immediately met with a rather startling sight. Their raven-haired, dark-eyed friend was ravenously devouring an miscellany of Japanese-style cuisine. In front of their classmate, a large wooden serving tray was topped to the brim with an assortment of stacked food, all of which were held in home-packed bento, wooden bowls wrapped with plastic film and plain lunch boxes. The eclectic array of dishes ranged from sushi, noodles, sashimi, tempura, yakitori chicken, pots of sukiyaki, kaiseki, miso soup and soba noodles.

"Oh, hey guys! Come on, take a seat." Gohan called out, before scurrying an entire bowl of teriyaki noodles into his mouth, swallowing it down within a single gulp. As Gohan moved onto his next dish, the bowl which he had just eaten from joined an increasingly large heap of matching wooden bowls, all of which were neatly stacked in a surprisingly organised pile.

Izuku, Tenya and Ochaco looked between themselves, their faces besmeared with dumbfounded expressions as they sat down at the table with their trays of food.

"Um, Gohan, I know it's none of my business, but ah, what's with all the food?" Ochaco asked, taking a seat to the left of Gohan. "Did you skip breakfast?"

"All that food...you could feed an entire family with that!" Izuku, who had taken a seat to Gohan's right, watched with widened eyes as their dark-eyed friend slurped down an entire bowl of soup within a single breath. "How can you eat so much food?"

Out of the three, Tenya seemed the less perturbed by Gohan's insatiable appetite. Or at the very least, he was the quickest to have recovered from the initial shock. "I assume that it has to do with your Quirk, correct? When we were doing the Quirk Apprehension Test yesterday, I was actually kinda wondering if your Quirk had any drawback. Out of everyone in our class, you seemed to be having the least trouble doing all those tests. With the raw power you possess, using your Quirk would potentially use up a large amount of your energy. So in order to compensate, for nutritional purposes, your body requires you to consume a significantly larger quantity of food than the rest of us. Otherwise, you would become greatly fatigued."

"Um-well-I guess-uh...yeah, that's exactly the reason, Iida," Grateful that the bespectacled teenager had unintentionally given him a reason for his insatiable appetite, Gohan gave Tenya an appreciative smile. "You're absolutely spot on. Since my Quirk takes up a lot of energy - even when I'm not using it - my mom has to prepare really large meals for breakfast, lunch and dinner."

"Oh, that actually makes a lot of sense." Izuku muttered to himself, as Gohan stuffed several dumplings into his mouth.

 _I wish I didn't I have to lie._ Gohan thought as he continued to eat. _But...well, I've only known them for a few days. Plus, even if I told them the truth, they would probably think I'm insane._

Ochaco tilted her head towards the pile of empty bowls in an inquisitive manner. "So everyday for breakfast, lunch and dinner, your mom cooks all this food? That sounds really expensive. You must come from a really rich family."

Gohan shook his head. "Oh no, we're not rich. Far from it. I mean, we're not exactly poor either. A few years before I was born, my dad won a competition where the top prize was a rather hefty sum of zeni. My mom's pretty good at managing our finances, so that prize money pretty much takes care of all our living expenses. Also, I live out in the countryside. We're surrounded by a plethora of wild animals, so whenever my mom needs meat, she usually sends my brother and I out to hunt for game."

As he finished speaking, the half-saiyan suppressed the urge to grin. Technically, he hadn't lied to his friends. He had just omitted the fact that the "competition" that his father had won just so happened to have been the 23rd World Martial Arts Tournament.

 _An event that we'll undoubtedly be learning about in our next history lesson with Midnight._ He noted.

"You have a brother?" Ochaco smiled at him. "What's his name? Is he older or younger than you?"

"Goten. He's ten years younger than me - he turned six last January, actually." Gohan answered.

"Since your brother is six, I guess that makes him apart of the Satan Generation." Izuku remarked.

A confused Gohan squinted at the green-haired teen. "The...the Satan Generation?"

"The Satan Generation is what historians usually refer to as the generation succeeding the All Might Generation - it refers to children born after Mr. Satan's victory at the Cell Games," Tenya explained. "While people around our age are able to remember a time before Cell terrorised the world, your brother and those similar to his age only know a post-Cell world."

"...I see." Gohan was not ignorant to the fact that the majority of the Earthen population adored Hercule Satan. That they would name an entire generation of children after him was something however that took Gohan somewhat by surprise.

 _I guess I underestimated how much the average common person values the World Champion._ Gohan thought. _I keep looking at the Cell Games as an insular and personal event. Something that only affected my family and friends. I keep forgetting that Cell's heinous crimes spanned across the entire world - millions upon millions of people suffered during that whole android saga. I wouldn't be surprised to learn that Mr. Satan was more popular than All Might._

For some reason, although the half-saiyan did not dislike the World Champion as the other Z-Fighters did, even he was slightly troubled by the thought that someone like Hercule Satan would be more popular and renowned than a virtuous and true hero like All Might.

The four students of Class 1-A continued to eat their lunch, while supplementing their meal with light chatter. Out of the corner of his eye, Gohan couldn't help but notice that several students from neighbouring tables would occasionally glance in his direction with expressions of interest plastered across their face. The half-saiyan paid them no mind. He assumed that like his friends, they were simply surprised by the amount of food that he had brought for lunch. Try as he might, he found it hard to think of any other reason as to why they would look his way.

"That was such an interesting lesson, wasn't it?" Gohan's musings were disrupted as he turned his head towards a grinning Ochaco, who drove a clenched fist into her palm in an excited manner. "I've always known about Son Goku, but I've never really took the time to learn about him. But from everything Miss Midnight told us - Goku's so awesome and cool!"

 _That was indeed an interesting lesson, Uraraka._ Gohan thought to himself. _One I certainly did not expect._

"Indeed. Son Goku was a rather remarkable individual. A true hero," Tenya was earnest in his agreement. "And to think he accomplished those feats at such a younger and tender age. Even licensed pro heroes weren't able to defeat the Red Ribbon Army, or the Demon King. Yet he did it singlehandedly without proper hero training. We can only imagine what the world would be like if he had not disappeared after the 23rd World Martial Arts Tournament. With All Might, Mr. Satan and Son Goku as the trifecta of good, villains would stand no chance against those pillars of justice!"

"Well said Iida!" Ochaco beamed at the bespectacled teen, before turning her gaze towards Izuku. "What do you think about Son Goku, Deku?"

"Oh! Um-uh-well," Izuku inclined his head, a sheepish smile crossing over his lips as he responded to her question with, "I thought it was very fascinating. Miss Midnight's presentation was more thorough and detailed than the chapter of the textbook that covers Son Goku. And...I've always kinda thought Goku to be an interesting figure in hero history. Besides his accomplishments, we barely know anything about him. And like you said, Iida, he didn't have a hero license. So technically, when he defeated the Army and the Demon King, according to Japanese law he was operating as a vigilante. Yet there are so many people today - especially those who were children or teenagers during the Reign of the Demon King - who were inspired by Goku's example to become pro heroes or martial artists. Or both. Even All Might, who is older than Goku, has publicly cited him as both an influence and an inspiration. It's...it's pretty surreal that someone close to our age could impact a generation of heroes so strongly."

"You raise from valid points, Midoriya. Hearing of Son's exploits today in class simply heightens my eagerness to delve into the coursework of the U.A. Hero Course," Pulling out a microfibre cloth from his shirt pocket, Tenya took of his glasses and began rubbing his lenses down. "There is no greater honour than having the opportunity to learn the principles of heroism from a reputed school like U.A. When I eventually graduate and procure my full hero license, I hope to use everything I have learnt at U.A. to be a hero like Son Goku."

As Tenya finished speaking, Gohan heart swelled with pride as he reflected on how important his father was to the superhero community. His feats and accomplishments were still remembered twenty years on. Even with more current and topical figureheads like All Might and Mr. Satan, to a young and budding generation of heroes-in-training, his father still served as a prime example as to how a hero should be.

 _Dad, wherever you are in the Other World, I hope you know how important you are to the people of Earth._ Gohan thought.

A mirthful Ochaco looked towards Gohan, who had been still throughout their entire conversation. "What about you, Gohan? I'm actually really curious as to what you think of him. I think you were like the only person who didn't speak last period."

"You were pretty quiet in Midnight's class, Gohan." Izuku said softly, picking at his chicken noodles with his chopsticks.

Gohan offered his friends a nervous smile, scratching the back of his head as he stammered out, "Oh hah hah, huh well yeah it was a really engrossing lesson. I was just-I was just captivated by everything Midnight was telling us, of course. Son Goku sounds like a really great and honourable person who led a very interesting life. I...I hope to be half the hero he is."

"Same here!" Ochaco suddenly slammed her hands against the table. "I kinda wish we knew more about him. I mean, where was he born? How did he become so strong at such a young age? If he had a Quirk, what _was_ his Quirk? Where is he right now? Is he even alive? Why didn't he back to fight Cell at the Cell Games? Kami, there's just so much I wanna know!"

Gohan gulped as he caught a glimpse of the brown-haired girl's eyes. They were alit with a passionate fire to them that he honestly had not expected from such a bright and bubbly girl like her. If Gohan wanted to, he could have easily answered all her questions. However, doing so would require him to reveal the truth about his parentage. And as much as he was growing to like his new friends, that was something that he was not prepared to do.

"Those are questions that I hope we learn the answers to one day as well, Uraraka," Tenya furrowed his brow in an expression that indicated that he was concentrating. "I still wonder though about the question Midnight poised to us in class. The homework question that we have to answer as apart of our reflection on today's class. Why indeed would our Modern Hero Art History course cover Son Goku as our first topic? I would have thought we would be tackling the initial breakdown in society following the emergence of Quirks? Or the Vigilantes Era? Or Rhode Island New State Statute? Even the the Meta Liberation Army saga would have been more fitting."

"Um, I think it's because the Red Ribbon Army and the Demon King are much more recent events. Actually, it's kinda crazy when you realise our parents and pro heroes of Midnight and Mr Aizawa's generation were around our age when Goku defeated Daimao," Izuku said quietly. "Most of the things you mentioned Iida - besides the Liberation Army - they happened over one hundred years ago. And, well, we already mentioned Son Goku's been a really influential figure in the modern superhero community. Yeah, he isn't as relevant today as All Might or Mr. Satan, but a lot of people still try to base themselves on his character. And the publicity generated from his defeat of Piccolo and his win at the 23rd World Tournament sparked the first martial arts phenomenon. Of course, Mr. Satan carried on the torch and brought on the second wave, but Goku kickstarted the movement. Without him, I doubt even a quarter of pro heroes around the world would be affluent in martial arts as the majority are now."

Impressed with Izuku's response, a smiling Gohan lightly patted Izuku on the back. "I think you're absolutely spot on, Izuku."

"Yeah Deku, that was an awesome answer!" Ochaco gave him a thumbs-up, the wide smile across her face causing Izuku's face to redden considerably. "I didn't even think about any of that. You're so smart!"

Before an embarrassed Izuku could sputter out a response to her compliment, Gohan found himself intervening, saving the green-haired teenager from having to reply by saying, "So we have Foundational Hero Studies for our final period. I'm really pumped for that."

"I am as well." Tenya nodded in agreement.

"Yeah, I can't wait. Hero Studies sounds like a really important subject for our development as heroes." Izuku murmured.

"Especially because All Might's is supposedly gonna be teaching us," Ochaco said excitedly. "I wonder what our first lesson is gonna be like? Are we gonna be battling mock villains? Giants robots like the Entrance Exam? Since he's our teacher, it's bound to be action-packed right? I'd kinda be disappointed if it wasn't."

"For some reason, Uraraka, I highly doubt that anyone in our class is gonna be disappointed with our upcoming lesson," Gohan rubbed his hands together in anticipation. "After all, how can a lesson with All Might as our teacher be boring?".

* * *

At the end of lunch, the students of Class 1-A returned their homeroom, taking their seats with a sense of feverish anticipation as they waited for their Foundational Hero Studies class to commence. Thankfully, it wasn't long before the teacher for their afternoon class arrived.

 **" _I AM HERE!_** " With his his blue-and-red cape flapping wildly behind him, the class let out a collective gasp as a very large and powerfully built man burst through the open doorframe, striding into the classroom with the utmost of bravado. " ** _COMING THROUGH THE DOOR LIKE A HERO!_ " **

"Holy crap, I can't believe it's really All Might!" Denki Kaminari exclaimed as the Symbol of Peace marched with exaggerated steps towards the teachers podium.

"I've never seen him in person before. He looks so strong!" Toru Hagakure shouted out.

"So he is really is our teacher for Hero Studies!" Eijiro Kirishima spoke with a delighted grin spread wide across his face. "This year is gonna be totally awesome."

"Hey look, isn't he wearing his Silver Age costume?" Tsuyu Asui pointed out, placing a finger on her chin.

"I'm getting goosebumps," Mashirao Ojiro's voice was filled with awe as he looked over the hulking figure of the number-one hero. "His Silver Age costume...its my personal favourite. It's so retro. And so cool."

As the other students continued to admire All Might, Gohan took the chance to quietly appraise the number-one hero. In terms of appearance, All Might definitely matched the colourful and dramatic character that he often saw on the news. The Symbol of Peace was a tall, very large and equally muscular man who appeared to be in his mid-to-late forties. His supposed "Silver Age" costume was skin-tight red bodysuit that served to further emphasis his incredibly well-defined physique, while his swept back short-blonde hair cast a dark shadow across his face, hiding almost all his tanned face save for his bright blue eyes.

The sight of the pro hero caused Gohan to smile. To the half-saiyan, All Might's striking and grandiose appearance was exactly what he thought of when he conjuring the image of a pro hero in his mind.

 _He's a lot more stronger than I expected._ Gohan breath almost hitched as he found himself sensing a surprisingly powerful _ki_ signature emanating from the burly pro hero. _For a human untrained in ki control, at least. Krillin, Tien, Yamcha and even Chiaotzu would easily outclass him in a fight, but if I had to guess he'd probably be as powerful as Piccolo if he were trained to manipulate his ki._

All Might placed his hands on his hips. " _ **Welcome to the most important class at U.A. High. Think of it as Hero 101. In this class, you'll be learning the basics of being a hero. And what it means to fight in the name of good! Let's get into it!**_ "

The Symbol of Peace knelt down by the podium, flexing his arms as he continued with, " ** _I promise you that your first lesson for Hero Studies will pull no punches! Keep calm everyone, for everything is awesome! All of you today will be participating in stimulated battle trials!"_**

"Fight training! Finally, some action!" Katsuki Bakugo roared with excitement, a devilish grin crossing over the blonde's lips.

"Real...real combat?" Conversely, Izuku appeared flustered by All Might's announcement.

" _ **But wait! There's more! An essential requirement for being an outstanding hero is LOOKING GOOD!** " _All Might pointed to the lefthand corner of the classroom. As if on queue, four racks that each contained six numbered metal cases slid out from the wall. " ** _These were designed by Capsule Corporation as apart of their partnership with U.A. High. These costumes are based on your Quirk registration forms and the requests that you sent in before school started. In each of your respective cases, there will be a DynoCap that will contain your costumes. Whether you wish to return those capsules back to your cases after the lesson, or to keep them in your possession, that is up to you. They are ultimately your responsibility. So don't lose them!_** "

All Might's words were met with a euphoric cheer from the students of Class 1-A. Gohan found himself grinning as he spotted his number-ten case at the bottom of the second rack. Since the day he had first worn his Hero Costume at Capsule Corporation, he had been itching for the chance to wear his costume again. And now that opportunity had arisen.

" ** _Alright Class 1-A, head to the changing rooms and get yourselves suited up!_** " All Might instructed. " ** _Once_ _you've changed, head immediately to Training Ground Beta. You can admire yourselves in your costumes on the way. Do you all understand?"_**

"Yes sir!"

After collecting their cases from the wall-racks, the males and females of Class 1-A splintered off into two separate groups and headed towards their respective changing rooms. Gohan and the rest of his males classmates soon found themselves entering small, single-user cubicles where they could privately change into their Hero Costumes. Laying his case on the floor, Gohan crouched down and opened the metal box. As he had suspected, instead of a DynoCap, he found himself staring at the grey digital watch that held his costume.

Gohan secured the timepiece around his right wrist. He made a mental note to once again thank Bulma for constructing the watch. The device served as a much more practical way for him to access his hero costume. All it took was the simple click of a button. And within seconds of pressing the red button, Gohan found himself once again clad in the green-and-black suit. Nothing about the costume had changed since the day at Capsule Corporation. The suit felt just as comfortable and satisfying to wear as it had been on that day.

As Gohan emerged out of his cubicle, his red cape trailing behind him, he immediately discovered that he was the first person to have finished changing. That was another advantage of the watch: the device allowed him to instantly transform into his superhero-costume without the hassle of having to change out of his school clothing. Remembering All Might's instructions, Gohan decided against waiting for his classmates to finish changing into their costumes. Promptly exiting the changing room, he began walking in the direction of Ground Beta.

When the half-saiyan eventually arrived at the tunnel that led to Ground Beta training course, he saw that a few of his female classmates had already gathered at the entrance of the training area.

"Oh wow. Hagakure, I think that guy is one of the boys from our class. Hey dude, come join us!" Mina Ashido waved in the direction of the half-saiyan, beckoning for him to join her and the invisible Toru Hagakure in company.

As he approached the two girls, the half-saiyan took the time to regard their hero costumes. Mina wore a purple-and-turquoise skintight bodysuit that was decorated with a camouflage pattern, hugging at her shapely figure and ending just above her bosom. Over her bodysuit, she wore a cropped, sleeveless tan-coloured waistcoat with white fur along its collar, which she had chosen to leave unbuttoned. Over her eyes, the pink-skinned girl wore a plain-white mask, while for her footwear, she had chosen brownish-white boots.

In contrast to both Mina and Gohan, the invisible girl had taken a more minimalistic approach. She simply wore a pair of baby blue gloves, decorated with pale pink lines, and light brownish-grey lace-up shoes. Even though her costume was impracticable for combat situations, as her Quirk made the teenage girl especially suited for stealth operations, Gohan thought that her hero costume was actually pretty ingenious.

 _Whether it be for surveillance, reconnaissance, infiltration or even a plain old sneak attack, all she'd have to do is take off her clothes and she'd-DENDE, SHE'S NAKED!_

Underneath his helmet, a deep blush quickly spread from his head to his neck as he became conscious of the fact that he was scrutinising the costume of a girl who was practically naked. Of course, due to the nature of her Quirk, her body was not visible to the naked eye. Even if he was the type for perverted thoughts, her relatively uncovered figure was not the type that he could ogle over. Still, that did nothing to mitigate the discomfort Gohan felt about the prospect of talking to a semi-naked girl.

"Wait, Ashido, I think that's Son." Toru said to the pink-skinned girl as Gohan drew near.

" _Yeah, it's me. Hey guys,_ " Gohan greeted the pair. " _Looks like we're the first three here._ "

"Dude, your hero costume is completely rad!" Mina's yellow-black eyes eagerly roamed over his hero costume. "Totally amazeballs. You look like if Iron Man had a lovechild with Ryu from Street Fighter."

"Yeah, you really do look cool," Toru agreed, extending the thumbs of her closed fists upward to showcase her approval.

" _Oh, um thank you very much._ " Gohan was unsure on how to reply to the compliments to the two girls. Gohan did not have much experience talking to girls his age. He would have commended them on their choice in heroic attire, but especially in the case of Hagakure, he was not entirely sure if that was the appropriate thing to do.

Thankfully, he was saved from having to respond by the arrival of several of their other classmates.

The half-saiyan and his female classmates turned around to find both Denki Kaminari and Eijiro Kirishima standing behind them, grins widening across their faces as they openly inspected Gohan's costume.

"Wow Son, is that you?" Kaminari asked. When Gohan nodded, the orange-yellow haired teenager gave him a thumbs-up. "That's a totally sick outfit bro. The cape, the green gi, the red cape - I wish I had thought of something like that."

"Yeah, dude, your costume is so manly. It's totally pro hero material!" Eijiro enthusiastically patted Gohan on the shoulder. "Those eyepiece thingies on your helmet are really sweet. They sorta remind me of those camera shutters with how they keep expanding and retracting."

Gohan bowed his helmeted head towards the two. " _Thanks guys. Both of your costumes are really cool as well_."

Gohan was being completely genuine with his compliments. The bare-chested Kirishima's hero costume consisted of two gear-shaped dark red shoulder-pads and a jagged sash that joined the shoulder pad on his left to the right side of his belt, which had a red "R" set into its centre. He wore black baggy pants and a half cape with a ripped hem, as well as black boots and multiple thick rings around his calves. Kirishima wore a wired guard which reached from just above his hairline to below his jaw. There were some spiked pieces around his mouth which resemble little fangs as well.

 _He kinda looks those troll-like creatures in Japanese folklore._ Gohan realised. _What are they called again? I think it's an Oni or something like that._

Kaminari's costume saw him wear a plain-white shirt underneath a black jacket, as well as black pants. Both were ornate with a matching white-lightning-pattern. Over his right ear, he wore a square-shaped earphone that somewhat resembled a radio antenna. It was a simple outfit, but Gohan thought that it very much suited the energetic and friendly teenager.

"You look like a badass, Kirishima," Mina praised the redhead. "You have an awesome warrior-slash-brawler vibe going for you. It totally works on you."

"Oh, uh, thanks Ashido," Kirishima seemed somewhat taken aback by Ashido's compliment. "You look nice as well."

The five students began to chat amongst themselves, patiently waiting for the other members of their class to join them. Fortunately, within a few minutes of Kirishima and Kaminari's arrival, the majority of Class 1-A had already converged at their location. As most of their class were gathered together save Izuku, it wasn't long before Gohan and the rest of classmates entered the tunnel that led to Ground Beta.

Beset with curiosity, as he walked in between Kirishima and Ashido, Gohan took the time to survey the diverse spectrum of hero costumes that made up the outfits his classmates had decided to wear. Several immediately caught his eye.

Though it somewhat pained him to admit it, Gohan was quite impressed with the hero costume worn by Katsuki Bakugo. The fiery and volatile blonde wore a black sleeveless tank-top that displayed an orange "X" across the middle. His costume had a metallic neck brace that appeared to fashioned and used as a collar, with rectangular ends drilled with three holes in each of them. From his biceps down, he wore large grenade-like gauntlets that looked rather intimidating, while his baggy pants were held up with a green-and-red belt. It appeared that his belt also held what appeared to be grenades. Bakugo also wore black, knee-high combat boots, while his eyes were covered with a jagged black mask that protruded on each side with a large, orange-rimmed flare shape.

 _I gotta admit, from everything I've seen of Bakugo, that costume suits his personalty incredibly well._ Gohan pursed his lips at the thought. _Almost too well. He looks more like an anti-hero than a true hero._

The next costume that the half-saiyan inspected was the outfit worn by Momo Yaoyorozu. It was rather hard for Gohan to concentrate on her costume without taking note of how revealing it was. He once again thanked Dende that he had decided to add a helmet to his own costume. The tall and strikingly beautiful girl wore a high-collar, sleeveless crimson leotard that exposed her skin from her neck to just below her navel. The girl sported short crimson boots which dipped sharply down in the centre, and two gold utility belts around her waist.

From what he had seen of her Quirk during yesterday's apprehension test, Gohan guessed that the reason her outfit was designed as such was because it would allow her to create items from as many points in her body as possible. As her Creation Quirk was practically limitless in its capabilities, it made sense to Gohan that she would choose such a design. Although he did not know her well, Yaoyorozu did not seem like the type of girl who took enjoyment in showcasing her figure.

 _Stop looking at her Gohan._ The half-saiyan scolded himself. _Even if she can't see your face, it's rude to stare. Don't have perverted thoughts._

Gohan quickly pulled his gaze away from the buxom girl. Looking to his left, he immediately noticed Ochaco walking nearby him. Uraraka's costume consisted of a pale-pink skintight bodysuit with circular wrist guards, wide knee-high boots and a two-piece belt around her waist. From the tense facial expressions she was making, it was obvious that she was uncomfortable with the tightness of her outfit. Gohan thought that she looked rather cute in her hero costume.

Walking beside her, Gohan recognised the tall and broad-shouldered figure of Tenya Iida. His hero costume vaguely resembled the armour of a medieval English knight - the various pieces of armour were of a pale-silver colour. He wears a helmet covering his entire face; its sharp bevor was punched with holes. The knee-high boots that Iida wore seemed to have been customised specifically with his Engine Quirk in mind. Alongside Bakugo, Gohan believed that Iida had the coolest-looking costume out of everyone in their class.

 _I wonder what Izuku's costume will look like?_ Gohan wondered, as Class 1-A stepped out of the tunnel and entered Training Ground Beta.

" ** _They say that clothes make the pros,_** " As they exited the tunnel, they were immediately met with the imposing figure of All Might. " ** _And behold my young ladies and gentlemen, you are living proof!"_**

" _ **Now then, you bunch of newbies**_ ," All Might thrust his right arm into the air, his hand clenched into a fist. " _ **Shall we get started?"**_

As All Might finished speaking, Gohan and a few of his classmates turned their heads to look behind them as the hurried pitter-patter of footsteps echoed from the tunnel. Emerging from the tunnel was a short and thin-looking individual wearing a green full-body jumpsuit. Wearing white gloves, a red belt encircled his waist. while his legs were protected with knee-pads and elbow-pads. As soon as the costumed individual came into the light, the red boots that he wore in conjunction with his attire immediately gave away his identity.

"Wow, Deku, that's such a cool costume. It's not too flashy, you know?" Ochaco moved to greet their friend. "I should have been more specific about what I wanted. I love what Capsule Corp did with my outfit, but this bodysuit is so tight. It's a little uncomfortable to move in, you know?"

"Oh, Uraraka!" Izuku cried out, before covering the respirator that covered his mouth with his hands.

" _Hey man, that really is a nice looking outfit_ ," Gohan gave his friend a thumbs-up. " _Like Uraraka said, it totally suit you."_

Izuku's eyes widened as he took in Gohan's hero costume, "Wait Go-Go-Gohan, is that you? Kami, wow, you look and sound so cool. If I didn't know who you were, I'd think that you were already a real pro hero."

Flattered by Izuku's compliment, Gohan felt his face flush with warmth underneath his helmet.

 _Izuku's costume is indeed cool, but it does make him look like a rabbit._ Gohan observed. _Especially since that mask has those long ear-like protrusions. They kinda remind me of someone. Someone that...wait a second!_

Gohan looked between Midoriya and the Symbol of Peace. It was just as he suspected. It was in the way that the protrusions of his green mask matched the unique hairstyle of All Might, as well as how the respirator-guard he wore was near identical in appearance to the All Might's omnipresent grin. Izuku had designed his hero costume to resemble that of All Might.

 _I knew he was a fan of All Might, but isn't this a little too obvious?_ Gohan thought, knitting his eyebrows together.

" ** _Eh hem,_** " All Might covered his mouth and loudly coughed, immediately recapturing the attention that had been momentarily lost following Izuku's arrival. " _ **Now that you are all present and ready, it is time for combat training!**_ "

 _"Sir,"_ Iida raised his arm to ask a question. " _This is the fake city from our entrance exam. Does that mean that we'll be conducting urban battles again?_ "

" _ **Not quite. I'm gonna be moving you first-years two steps ahead**_ ," All Might raised two fingers. " ** _Most of the villain fights you see on television take place outside. However, statistically speaking, encounters with the worst kind of villainy tend to happen indoors. Think about it for a second: backroom deals, home invasions, secret underground lairs. Truly intelligent criminals stay hidden in the shadows. And those type of villains are the most dangerous._ "**

All Might continued. " _ **For this training exercise, you'll be split into teams of an old-school battle of goodies versus baddies. You'll be fighting two-on-two indoor battles.**_ "

Gohan breathed slowly as he took in All Might's words. So Uraraka had been close enough with her guess during lunch. In pairs, they would be fighting each other in stimulated battle trials. That didn't sound too bad. However, Gohan could knew that he had to be extremely careful. Whether he was designated a hero or a villain, the half-saiyan was well aware of the fact that he would have to hold back considerably. Though his strength had greatly diminished since the Cell Games, even utilising a minuscule portion of his power would greatly injure or possibly even kill his classmates.

"Sir, isn't this a little too advanced?" Tsuyu Asui questioned. "I know I can't speak for the class, but I'm very much certain that the majority of us have never been in combat situations before that involve real people. In fact, the entrance exam was probably the first time we ever used our Quirks to fight."

 _ **"I am well aware of that, young Asui. However, I strongly believe that the best training is what you receive on the battlefield!"**_ All Might grinned _ **. "But remember, you can't just punch a robot this time. You're dealing with actual people now**_."

Yaoyorozu raised her hand. "Sir, will you be deciding who wins?"

"How much can we hurt the other team?" Bakugo asked.

"Do we need to worry about the losers getting expelled like during the apprehension test yesterday?" Ochaco nervously inquired.

Tenya once again raised his hand, "Will you splitting us up based on chance or comparative skill?"

"Isn't _mon_ cape _sensationnel?_ Yuga Aoyama drew his violet cape to the tip of his nose, showing it off for the rest of the class to admire.

" _ **I wasn't finished speaking**_." All Might spoke through gritted teeth, his face scrunched into a slight frown. It was obvious that he was annoyed by the sudden flurry of questions.

Reaching into his pocket, the number-one hero pulled a small book and opened it to a page in the middle. He began reading from it like a script. " _ **Pay attention, Class 1-A, for the situation is this. The villains have hid a nuclear bomb somewhere in their hideout. The heroes must try to foil their plan. To do that, the heroes must either capture the villains or recover the weapon. Likewise, the villains succeed if they protect their payload or capture the heroes."**_

 _That scenario kinda sounds like a video-game._ Gohan thought, a slight grin underneath his helmet. _if it's similar to the games that Trunks own, then this should be pretty straightforward. And really easy._

Gohan prayed to Dende that he would not be paired with Bakugo. He did not mind being partnered with anyone else in their class. As he had gathered from the apprehension test they had conducted yesterday, it was very apparent that the explosive blonde disliked him. As such, he highly doubted that Bakugo would set aside whatever prejudice he had against the half-saiyan to win the exercise. Most likely, Bakugo would ignore him and engage the opposition by himself, stubbornly resisting the opportunity to work together.

All Might withdrew a purple DynoCap from his pocket and clicked it open, dropping it on the floor. As soon as the smoke from the capsule cleared, three boxes of differing colour stood together. The black box on the left read "VILLAINS" in white text while the white box on the right read "HEROES" in black text. In the middle, there was a yellow box which simply read "LOTS" on it.

" _ **Now then, time is of the essence! We'll be choosing teams by drawing lots**_!" All Might announced.

 _"Sir, surely there is a better way?_ " Tenya queried.

"Think about it like this, Iida," Izuku pointed a finger upward as he spoke. "Heroes often have to team up with heroes from other agencies on the spot. So maybe that's the reason we're seeing that here."

" _Yes I see. That makes sense. Life is random series of events_ ," Tenya bowed towards All Might. " _Please forgive my rudeness._ "

" _ **Don't sweat it, young Iida**_ ," All Might raised his left arm into the air. " _ **Alright heroes-in-training, let's draw!**_ "

With that, Class 1-A wordlessly formed a single line before the yellow box and began taking turns. The half-saiyan found himself near the end of the line, behind Mashirao Ojiro and in front of Fumikage Tokoyami. Gohan noted that Ojiro's hero costume was simply a plain white gi, tied with a black belt, while the collar of the karate gi was partially lined with yellow fur. Tokoyami's costume consisted of a black robe that covered his entire body, stopping only halfway to his shins, and knee-high black boots.

As Gohan waited for his turn, several teams had begun to form. In a welcome turn of events, Izuku had been partnered with Ochaco as Team A; the pairing seemed to greatly please the petite girl. Izuku seemed incredibly anxious at the prospect of working with Ochaco. Gohan assumed that this was due to his nervousness around girls.

Kirishima had drawn "J", signalling that he would working with Hanta Sero. After Mezo Shoji drew the "B" ball, he joined the company of his partner Shoto Todoroki. Momo Yaoyorozu did not seem pleased to be partnered as Team C with Minoru Mineta, who was practically drooling at the sight of her. Kaminari had been paired with Kyoka Jiro as Team G. Ashido and Aoyama were partnered together as Team E, though for some reason, the latter of the teams did not seem that particularly impressed with each other.

When Ojiro drew was an "I" ball, partnering him up with Toru Hagakure, it came time for Gohan to draw. Reaching into the middle box, Gohan pulled out the first ball that his fingers touched.

" _ **Ah, Son Gohan. So you're the one who broke the record I set during the entrance exam. I look forward to seeing how you do in this battle trial,**_ " All Might guffawed as Gohan showed him the ball that he had drawn. " _ **Since you drew the "H" ball, young Son, that means that you've been partnered up with Asui Tsuyu!**_ "

It seemed that Dende had listened to his prayers after all. Gohan resisted the urge to let out a sigh of relief as he walked up to introduce himself to his partner. He did however feel sorry for the person who would inevitably be partnered up with Bakugo.

"So it looks like we'll be partners, _ribbit_ ," Tsuyu slanted her head to the left, placing a finger on her chin. "Whomever we end up facing, I look forward to teaming up with you Son."

Tsuyu wore a bright-green turtleneck bodysuit and a tan-coloured glove on each hand, with a large buckle on each wrist-guard. Two black lines run all the way down her suit, each framed with yellow. She wore tight black boots marked with a "V" shape on her thighs, while her green webbed flippers resembled frog toes. On her head, the short girl wore a headband and goggles whose lenses were tinted dark green.

Despite her relatively frog-like appearance, with her large oval-shaped black eyes and dark sea-green hair, Gohan couldn't deny that the girl was quite pretty.

Gohan inclined his head in agreement. " _Me too, Asui. Let's do our very best to win."_

In the end, the person who would be partnered with Katsuki Bakugo for the battle stimulation wound up being Tenya Iida. Neither parties to Team D seemed especially thrilled at the prospect of being partnered up together. It did not take a genius to figure out that their clashing personalities would only serve to hinder their performance in the battle trial.

Eventually, the drawing of the lots came to an end. Rounding out the the final team was Fumikage Tokoyami and the muscle-bound Rikido Sato as Team F.

" ** _Alrighty_ _then_!"** All Might dug his hands into the the pair of boxes titled "VILLAINS" and "HEROES". " ** _Now that you've all been sorted into teams, it's time to see which two teams will be the first to compete against each other!"_**

The class waited with bated breath as the Symbol of Peace made a dramatic show of rummaging through the two boxes.

" _ **I declare that the first two teams to fight will be...**_ " A grinning All Might revealed the two letters to the class. _" **Team A as the heroes and Team D as the**_ ** _villains_!"**

Gohan heard an audible gasp escape from the lips of his green-haired friend. He couldn't fault Izuku for reacting this way. The half-saiyan himself was somewhat surprised by the result. The first match of Class 1-A's stimulated battle trial would see Izuku Midoriya and Ochaco Uraraka as heroes against Katsuki Bakugo and Tenya Iida as villains.

Given what Izuku had chosen to inform him about his fractured relationship with his childhood friend, Gohan felt that it was rather safe to predict that the battle between Team A and Team D would be both exciting and interesting. He just hoped that Izuku would be able to control his Quirk. Or at the very least, use it in a manner that mitigated the damage done to his body. Either way, he doubted that Bakugo would show his former childhood friend any mercy during the battle trial.

" ** _Now that we've brokered the first match, the rest of you can head up to the monitor room!_** " All Might commanded.

"Yes sir." Class 1-A chorused.

As the rest of the class began moving, Gohan turned his head towards Izuku. His friend was highly strung and practically sweating through his costume; his hands and feet were shaking in both fear and nervousness over the imminent confrontation with Bakugo. Feeling that it was his duty to comfort his friend, Gohan stepped towards Izuku and placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder.

" _Hey Izuku, don't worry about it. You'll be fine_ ," Gohan patted him softly on the arm. " _Don't let yourself be cowed in fear by him. I know he's had his Quirk for a lot longer than you've had yours, but he's not invincible. Uraraka and you can definitely win this._ _Just keep a clear head and avoid hurting yourself too badly. I'll be in the monitor room cheering for Ochaco and you."_

"Tha-tha-tha-thanks Gohan. I'll..I'll keep what you said in mind. Don't worry, I'm going to try my hardest to win," Although Izuku still appeared skittish, Gohan's words seemed to calm him down at least somewhat. "I won't let him get to me."

Gohan wished his friend good luck. As he turned to join the rest of his class, he caught Katsuki Bakugo glaring at him. A deep scowl beset the mouth of the red-eyed blonde as their eyes briefly crossed each other. As the half-saiyan walked away, he could practically feel his fiery classmate stare daggers at his back.

* * *

In the surveillance room, Gohan and the rest of his classmates convened before an enormous dark-green monitor that displayed five other miniature screens. As the battle trial was being held inside a large building, from what Gohan could see, each screen appeared to showcase a different section of the battle area. Since the darkly-lit surveillance room was located in the basement of the industrial building, the large monitor afforded both All Might and the class to opportunity to closely scrutinize the indoor exercise as well as take notes on the performance of their classmates.

All Might pressed on the intercom button and shouted into his mini-microphone. " ** _ALRIGHT! LET'S BEGIN THE INDOOR COMBAT EXERCISE! TEAM A AND TEAM D...YOUR TIME STARTS NOW!"_**

All Might turned his head to look at the students gathered behind him. " _ **Pay attention kids. Think about what you would do in this scenario**._"

Gohan narrowed his eyes as he stared at the large monitor, pondering over the strategies that he would employ in this stimulated battle trial.

 _It doesn't matter if I was a hero or a villain. If I really wanted to, I could win this exercise for my team within a single minute. All I'd had to do is locate their ki signatures and rush the hero or villain team. They wouldn't have time to react._ Gohan dryly thought to himself.

Gohan hated himself for thinking so arrogantly, but but the training he received from both Piccolo and his father - as well as his half-saiyan genes - placed him in a much superior position of power than everyone in this room. And that included All Might. His speed, strength, reflexes and senses were simply far too great for any of them to match.

 _Damnit, you're sounding just Vegeta._ Gohan told himself, shaking his head to clear his thoughts.

The half-saiyan reminded himself that he was not the only one being tested. He still had a teammate to consider. In Gohan's mind, he had to provide Tsuyu to opportunity to showcase her power and skillset to both All Might and Class 1-A. It was the responsible thing to do.

On the screen, Izuku and Ochaco slipped through an open window on the bottom floor and proceeded to walk cautiously down the hallway. It didn't take long however for Bakugo to ambush them. The ferocious blonde leapt out from another hallway and attempted to blast both Izuku and Ochaco, but both managed to evade the sneak attack thanks to Izuku. Unfournately for the green-haired teenager, their evasion from Bakugo's explosion had cost him half his mask.

"He almost got the jump on him!" Mineta remarked.

Izuku and Bakugo appeared to exchange several words between each other. However, as the cameras were not linked to an audio feed, Class 1-A could not hear what they were saying. From their facial expressions and body movements, Gohan assumed that Bakugo was either mocking or threatening Midoriya, while the latter retorting back and slowly beginning to stand up from himself.

"Damnit Bakugo, how could you use a sneak attack like that?" Kirishima rebuked, slamming his fist into his open palm. "What kind of man pulls a cheap trick like that?"

"It's a viable strategy. Bakugo is truly committed to playing the part. He's acting like a true villain." All Might pointed out.

" _Yeah, but his ambush failed_ ," Gohan said, tightening his hands into fists. " _It's pretty obvious that he's not taking Midoriya seriously. Or at the very least, underestimating his capabilities. Yet, Izuku managed to dodge the attack. If he plays his cards right..."_

"Look, there he goes!" Denki Kaminari pointed towards the middle screen as Bakugo made his next move.

Bakugo attempted to attack Izuku again. However, Izuku was prepared to defend himself and managed to catch his swing. Gohan and his classmates watched in astonishment as Izuku shoulder-tossed a surprised Bakugo on the ground.

"Whoa, nice move Midoriya!" Sato praised the green-haired teen.

"Yeah, didn't know you had it in you buddy." Sero sported a wide grin from ear to ear as he stared at the monitor.

 _I hate to admit it, but I didn't think you'd pull something like that off._ Gohan thought with a sheepish smile. _Maybe...since they went to the same middle-school, Izuku's already made notes on Bakugo's fighting style._

An angered Bakugo quickly recovered from Izuku's surprise counterattack and rose up from the floor. As before, the two once again entered into a heated argument as Uraraka watched on in confusion.

"Yoh, what's Bakugo saying? Can't we get some sound up in this video?" Kirishima asked.

" _ **He's got a small radio in his ear so he can talk to his partner,**_ " All Might pointed to a blue device attached his ear. " _ **I gave it to him before the match started, young Kirishima, along with the map of the building. Also, I gave them this."**_

All Might showed Class 1-A a small roll of white tape. " _ **This is capture tape. As the name implies, wrapping this around your opponent means you've apprehended them. And then they're out for the rest of the game."**_

"Wait, so you said there's a fifteen minute time-limit and the heroes have no idea which floor the nuclear weapon is hidden on, right?" As All Might nodded in answer, Ashido pulled a face. "But...doesn't that mean that the heroes are at a huge disadvantage?"

" _ **Real pros have to outwit villains on a daily basis. That's simply the fact of life,**_ " All Might bluntly answered. " ** _Even when the odds are stacked against us, we fight!"_**

The Symbol of Peace made an extremely valid point. In fact, the half-saiyan could relate to the sentiment expressed by All Might. There had been so many instances where the Z-Fighters had been forced to face a villain that they were either too weak to fight against or simply underprepared for. Yet, even though the odds weren't in their favour, they still persevered and fought to the bitter end. Sometimes it would be to save themselves. Most times it would be to save their family, friends and the entire Earth. And every time, they would win.

 _ **"Come on! Say it with me!"**_ All Might called out.

 **"LET'S HEAR A PLUS ULTRA!"** The response from Gohan and the rest of his classmates was spoken loudly and proudly.

" _Monsieur_ Might, he's on the move." Aoyama brought their attention back to the monitor.

Izuku and Katsuki had begun to fight. As Izuku distracted Bakugo and kept the blonde's attention on him, Uraraka ran off in the opposite direction. Gohan assumed that she had left the combat zone in order to track down the hidden weapon. It was a smart ploy by the heroes to target Bakugo's feelings of aggression and disgust towards Izuku. Those feelings were clearly clouding his rational judgement.

Izuku managed to block a kick that Katsuki had aimed towards his head. He then attempted to wrap capturing tape around the leg. His efforts were fraught as Bakugo rushed forward and made towards the green-haired teen with an explosive punch. However, it seemed that Izuku had predicted this, for he leapt out of the way and managed to escape unharmed by Bakugo's attack.

"Midoriya managed to evade the punch. That was a really good move." Jiro admitted.

"That little guy is really something else!" Sato remarked.

"Yes. Midoriya is holding his own against Bakugo. And he hasn't even used his Quirk yet." Tokoyami noted.

"If his Quirk really does damage his body, he's gonna have to be really careful in how he uses it, _ribbit_ ," Asui said. "One simple mistake, and he could cost his team the match."

"Not to mention he'd once again break his body." Kirishima murmured.

"Go Midoriya!" Ashido cheered.

Bakugo stretched his gauntlet-hands out behind him. It seemed to the half-saiyan that he was preparing to rush Izuku by propelling himself towards Midoriya with his explosions. However, Izuku appeared to have noticed this, for he immediately retreated, weaving his ways through the hallway as Bakugo chased after him.

As Izuku managed to gain distance, Bakugo expressed his frustrations by screaming into the air, explosions crackling in his palms.

"Damn, that Bakugo guy has some real anger issues," Kaminari grumbled. "Just chill out dude."

"He's kinda scary." Hagakure admitted.

In his frantic search for Izuku, the aforementioned blonde blasted through doors, only to find himself staring into empty rooms. Frustrated by the fact that he had not caught up to Midoriya, Bakugo appeared to be roaring and yelling for Izuku to face him.

 _Bakugo needs to calm down._ Gohan thought, as Bakugo blasted open another door open. _He's obviously skilled at combat. And he's got quite the handle over his Quirk. If he's not careful, his arrogance and pride will lead to his downfall._

Meanwhile, as Bakugo stalked the hallway for Izuku, Ochaco reached the middle of the fifth floor; Tenya was closely guarding the nuclear weapon. In all the excitement, Gohan had forgotten to take note of Iida. Tenya had already removed all the items in the room. As such, their were no objects that Ochaco could use as a weapon against Iida. It appeared to the half-saiyan that Tenya had predicted that Ochaco would the one sent after the weapon. His guess had been correct.

In order to get to the weapon, she would somehow have to break on past Iida's defence or otherwise subdue him. Especially considering Tenya's Engine Quirk, that would prove especially difficult. In terms of speed and strength, he clearly had the advantage over her.

Back on the bottom floor, with only six minutes remaining, Bakugo had finally managed to find Izuku. To Gohan's surprise, Bakugo did not immediately attack him. Instead, the wild-eyed blonde gestured towards his grenadier-bracers with an agitated look on his face.

Suddenly, Bakugo thrust his left arm forward. He pulled back the handle that rested on-top of the grenade-gauntlet, releasing a grenade pin. The volatile blonde bent down on one knee; his finger was placed between the gap of the pin.

His eyes widening underneath his helmet, it was only then that Gohan understood what Bakugo intended to do.

" _Don't do it, Bakugo_!" Gohan yelled at the monitor, startling his classmates with his sudden outburst. " _That's going way too far!"_

"Wait, what's he trying to do?" Ashido asked.

"What's going too far?" Sero questioned, looking between the half-saiyan and the large monitor display.

All Might agreed with Gohan's assessment, shouting into the microphone, " _ **Young Bakugo, don't do it! You'll kill him!"**_

Ultimately, All Might's plea fell to deaf ears.

Katsuki Bakugo released the grenade pin, detonating an onslaught of powerful explosives from his grenadier bracer. The massive volley of explosions unleashed from the gauntlet rampaged towards a terrified Izuku, blasting through the hallway and completely overwhelming the green-haired teen.

* * *

 **Thanks for reading. Sorry for the long wait, this was a hard chapter to write. I was actually going to have Midnight show the actual video of Goku's battle with King Piccolo, but Midnight's history lesson was already taking so much of the chapter. Hope you enjoyed this chapter. Catch you guys later.**

 **Next chapter will continue the Battle Trials.** **Oh, and anyone curious, yeah I plan on adapting both the MHA: Two Heroes movie and the Majin Buu Saga.**

 **Chapter Notes **

**Note 1: I had to change certain details about events that occurred in DB/DBZ in order to fit it into the continuity of this AU-crossover. I treated this universe as distinct from MHA and DBZ - it borrows elements from both. I tried to be as faithful to original DB events as possible, while removing/modifying certain events that simply would not work as they happened in DB/DBZ (like the destruction of the moon). While I tried to include as much as I could of the King Piccolo Saga in the first half of this chapter, I left out certain things with the Red Ribbon Army Saga, because A) they wouldn't be known to the general public and B) some points will come up later on in the story.**

 **Note 2: All Might's age is not given in the manga/anime. I've decided to make him two years older than Endeavour (who at this time is 45). So he'd have been 23 during the Red Ribbon Army Saga and 26 during the King Piccolo Saga.**

 **Note 3: Yamcha doesn't have an official last name. Rekishiyoma was an unofficial last name for him in another DBZ fanfic, so I just made it that. Same with Krillin Ito.**


	5. The Battle Trials Continue!

**Hey guys, long time no see. Sorry for the long, _long_ delay. Life - in both its good and bad moments - just gets in the way sometimes. Writer's block partly played into the delay. Anyway, here's the fifth chapter. I really enjoyed writing this one. I hope you enjoy reading it. Thanks for the support. And please, as usual, let me know what you think.**

 **Just a quick note: I retconned something from the previous chapters about their timetable. In this chapter, they have an afternoon class after their Foundational Hero Studies class. When I have time, I'll update the previous chapters to reflect the change.**

 **Happy new year everyone. Here's to a great 2020 and beyond!**

* * *

" _ **Midoriya? Midoriya, do you read me? Come in! Come in Midoriya!**_ "

The distressed, panic-stricken voice of the Symbol of Peace reverberated around the surveillance room as he shouted into the microphone. With their eyes collectively glued onto the large monitor screen, Gohan Son and the other students of Class 1-A waited with bated breath for their classmate to answer their teacher's desperate call. Gohan gritted his teeth, his fingers nervously drumming against his thighs as he squinted his eyes at the monitor screen, hoping to make out the visage of Izuku.

As the rumbling aftershock that had followed the main shock of the blast came to a close, the smoke that had been generated from the attack began to dissipate, affording the onlookers of the exercise a clearer view of the battle scene. The aftermath of the massive explosion caused by Katsuki Bakugo's attack had devastated much of the ground floor; a significant portion of the cement wall of the building having been blown apart by the blast, splintering the wall into fragments of stone, brick and concrete that decorated the floor of the room as misshapen rubble and debris.

Once the smoke had fully cleared, Gohan let out a deep sigh of relief as the thin, scraggy form of Izuku came into view. He lay on the ground on his back, but as Izuku struggled to get up from the floor, the half-saiyan saw that with the exception of his tattered hero costume, his green-haired friend had emerged mostly unscathed from Bakugo's attack.

"Man, what the hell was _that_?" The stunned silence that had befallen the students of Class 1-A was broken by Hanta Sero. "That was freaking insane! That blast was super dangerous - he could've killed Midoriya!"

"What the hell is wrong with that Bakugo guy?" Kyoka Jiro did not bother to hide her exasperation at their hot-headed classmate. "Even if he is playing the part of a villain, that was an incredibly stupid move."

Momo Yaoyorozu nodded in agreement. "Bakugo's employing a foolish and needlessly volatile strategy. He should never have unleashed such a destructive attack like that in an indoor environment, especially within the confines of a narrow hallway."

"The dude's powerful and obviously pretty talented, but he seems like such a _total_ asshole," Denki Kaminari remarked with a furrowed brow, before quickly muttering under his breath. "I wouldn't want to be in Midoriya's shoes right now."

Gohan pursed his lips, and found himself clenching his hands into fists as he watched a cackling Bakugo emerge from the dissipating smoke, elated by the results of his explosive attack. His own thoughts fell in line with the sentiments expressed by his classmates.

The attack that his rash classmate has inflicted against Izuku had been reckless and extremely irresponsible. He had been heedlessly careless and needlessly incautious; there had been no need for Bakugo to unleash such a damaging and madcap attack. As much as it loathed him to admit it, from what he had seen of Midoriya and Bakugo during both the exercise and the apprehension test, it was clear that the latter possessed a martial advantage over his green-haired friend. Bakugo had far greater control of his Quirk, and from the brief flashes of martial prowess he had displayed, was a better fighter than Izuku.

 _He's so caught up by whatever grudge he has against Izuku that he's intentionally ignoring the parameters of the exercise. His hatred of Izuku is causing him to be irrational._

Gohan quietly gulped. With an Explosion Quirk, irrational thinking was highly dangerous. As Bakugo strode towards a frightened Midoriya, the half-saiyan's heart swelled with pity.

 _Come on Midoriya, you're gonna have to use your Quirk. You and Uraraka can win this. I believe in you guys._

"Hey guys, it seems like that Uraraka girl is about to make her move against the knight guy." Rikido Sato's observation tore Gohan and much of the class' gazes away from the aftermath of Bakugo's attack to the confrontation between Uraraka and Iida on the fifth floor. Ochaco had taken advantage of the aftershock caused by Bakugo's powerful explosion, and had made a run for the payload as Tenya attempted to contact his partner.

As Tenya drew his attention back towards Ochaco, the brown-haired girl activated her gravity cancellation Quirk and made herself float into the air above Iida. This surprised Gohan, as he had not realised that the girl could make herself float. He had incorrectly assumed that she could only nullify the gravity around other physical articles.

Nearing the mock weapon, Ochaco cancelled the effect of her Quirk, in the hopes of touching it before Tenya could stop her. However, the speed granted by Tenya's Quirk proved too great, curbing her valiant effort. Before she could make contact, Tenya quickly moved the nuclear weapon to the other side of the room. Startled, Ochaco fell hard towards the floor, the sudden stop in acceleration causing her to roll back and slam against the lower wall.

 _Tenya's Quirk is really incredible. And Uraraka as well._ Gohan was highly impressed with the aptitude that both his friends were displaying in this exercise. _If it wasn't for his obvious advantage in speed, that type of move would've worked._

Unfortunately for Uraraka, making another dash for the payload would not work. Tenya's Engine Quirk afforded him the ability to move the weapon out of her reach. If she wished to capture the weapon, then she would have to think of another strategy. Without backup, the only way Gohan saw her coming into contact with the weapon was if she managed to somehow subdue Tenya long enough for Izuku to assist her. That would require however for Midoriya to defeat his ash-blonde foe.

Back on the bottom floor, it appeared to Gohan and the rest of the students that Bakugo was continuing to goad Midoriya into attacking him. Izuku seemed to not be falling for his bait, and was instead trying to make contact with his partner. This only seemed to further agitate an already frustrated Bakugo.

"Sir, isn't this situation getting out of hand?" A concerned Eijiro Kirishima asked their teacher, who was staring anxiously at the monitor. "That Bakugo guy is acting real crazy. He might even kill him."

" ** _Not so_** ," All Might said in a surprisingly soft voice. " _ **Despite his fierce postering, it's quite clear that he's not actually trying to kill Midoriya. In saying that, that does not make an attack on that level okay. Midoriya did nothing to necessitate such an aggressive resort.**_ "

All Might raised the mic in his hand to his mouth. " _ **Young Bakugo, use that stored up power again and I'll stop this fight. Your team will lose**_."

On screen, Bakugo seemed flabbergasted by All Might's rebuke. " _ **If it wasn't clear before, then it is definitely clear now. Using such an attack indoors is inviting the destruction of the stronghold that you as a villain should be protecting. A poor strategy, whether it be a hero or a villain. The penalty will be a massive loss in points.**_ "

 _I didn't even consider the villain perspective._ Gohan thought. _Yeah, it makes sense. A level-headed villain wouldn't want his hideout to be destroyed, even though it's already been compromised by a band of heroes._

The half-saiyan made sure to file that a mental note for his own battle trial. He would have to be careful when potentially using any ki attacks, even if it came to that. Even a small blast of energy could be destructive if not handled properly.

However marginal their effect, All Might's words seemed to somewhat calm Bakugo down. Or at the very least, Gohan felt that All Might's reprimand reminded Bakugo that he was participating in an exercise and not a real battle. Bakugo growled, before launching himself at Midoriya, catching Izuku by surprise with the abruptness of his charge. Before either combatants could land a hit, Bakugo suddenly used an explosive blast to redirect his trajectory in the air, propelling himself over Izuku. Before the green-haired teen could react, Bakugo took the opportunity to blast Izuku in the back with another small explosion.

Gohan and the rest of Class 1-A let out a small gasp of surprise as Midoriya was forcibly knocked forward. As Izuku stumbled, the half-saiyan could not help but wince upon seeing his friend's pained face. That explosion appeared to have really hurt.

"What kinda move was _that_?" Kirishima asked aloud.

"I'm actually surprised that he was smart enough to pull something like that off," Gohan and several others turned to look at the soft-spoken Shoto Todoroki, who had narrowed his gaze towards the screen. "He doesn't come off with a guy with a strategy, but he's actually quite intelligent."

Beneath his helmet, Gohan frowned in confusion. " _What do you mean?_ "

Shoto inclined his head towards the screen. "Did you not see? He changed his trajectory while midair with a blast that fronted as a smokescreen. That's actually quite clever. A feint attack like that, it requires an extreme amount of precision."

"And a careful calculation of the physics," Yaoyorozu added. "Combining that with the fact that Bakugo has a clear understanding of his Quirk's capabilities, he was able to circumvent Midoriya's counter-attack and successfully lodge an effective blow of his own."

"Man, Kaminari was right. This Bakugo guy is really skilled," Mashirao Ojiro seemed reluctant with his praise. "I'm actually kinda jealous. Even if I had that kinda Quirk, I don't think I would've thought of something like that."

Gohan had to admit that Todoroki and Yaoyorozu made extremely valid points. The fact that Bakugo was able to employ an attack like that spoke demonstrated his tactical sensibilities; an adroit mind that was well suited towards both combat and martial strategy. For a human, Bakugo was definitely an accomplished individual. And Gohan was sure that with the training offered by U.A., he would only grow his talents further.

Before Izuku could recover from the attack, Bakugo lunged once more, striking Midoriya's exposed elbow with a right hook. As Izuku cried out in pain, Bakugo grabbed Midoriya's arm and used his free arm to fire off a series of small explosions from his gauntlet, building enough momentum before slamming Izuku onto the ground.

 _Damn it._ Gohan grimaced as Izuku lay sprawled on the ground. _This is getting out of hand. Bakugo's relentless. He's not giving Izuku anytime to strategise._

"This is getting really hard to watch. All he has to do is wrap tape around him, right? He doesn't have to kill him!" Mina Ashido squeaked.

"Midoriya had the advantage earlier on, but now the tables have turned against him." Toru said, her voice filled with sympathy for their green-haired classmate.

"Yeah. I hate to say it, but the poor guy can't match that level of natural talent. Bakugo's just so damn freaking good." Sato remarked.

"Indeed. Even the role of a villain comes almost like second nature to him." Fumikage Tokoyami murmured quietly.

Gohan looked to their teacher. A troubled expression had beset the face of the Symbol of Peace. All Might was staring intently at the monitor screen through gritted teeth, his trembling hands tightening their hold around the microphone. It seemed to the half-saiyan that their teacher was internally debating whether to stop the exercise or allow it to continue.

 _I don't envy All Might. If I were in his position, I honestly would not know what to do in this situation._ Gohan thought solemnly as he turned his attention back to the screen.

"He's running away!" Ashido observed as Izuku quickly scrambled across the floor away from Bakugo, creating distance between himself and his opponent.

"It's not really manly, but he doesn't really have a choice. Midoriya's outgunned," Kirishima inclined his head. "Unless...unless he has some sort of plan?"

" _It's definitely possible_ ," Gohan found himself saying. " _We shouldn't discount Izuku yet. He can still win this. Besides, he still hasn't used his Quirk_."

"Is it even worth it though?" Her eyes fixed on the screen, Tsuyu Asui tilted her head to the left. "From what we saw during the apprehension test, his Quirk severely damages the part of his body that it is channelled through. Right now, even the slightest misstep could do more harm than good. With all the power that his Quirk seemingly gives him...if he does decide to use it, he's gonna have to make it count, _ribbit_."

 _She's right._ Gohan realised, as Izuku crawled his way to the other side of the room and got back up on his feet. _If his Quirk really does injure his body, then he only has one shot against Bakugo._

A glowering Bakugo began striding towards Izuku, and it appeared to the half-saiyan that he was attempting to goad Izuku into fighting him. Although he could not hear the conversation being exchanged between the two former friends, his tactics appeared to have worked; Bakugo's words provoked a frustrated reaction from his green-haired classmate.

Izuku yelled something at Bakugo, the tears that had welled up in his eyes cascading down his cheeks like a rushing waterfall, before running forward. A stunned silence had befallen the students of Class 1-A as Izuku sprinted towards his opponent.

A snarling Bakugo responded in kind, launching himself at Izuku. As the two began to draw close, Izuku pulled back his right arm as familiar-looking red-coloured veins coursed through his arm, which pulsated with glowing energy.

As Bakugo's hands began to steam with heat, Gohan's breath hitched, as he realised that Izuku was attempting to knock the ash-blonde teenager out with one punch. If the attack failed to connect, then he would be vulnerable to a devastating counterattack. One that Gohan was unsure that he could recover from.

"Please sir, you have to stop this!" Kirishima begged to their teacher. "They're gonna kill each other!"

Kirishima's plea seemed to have broken through to a tightly wound All Might. Grinding his teeth, the trembling Symbol of Peace raised his microphone to his mouth and said, " ** _Midoriya and Bakugo: stop this now! Both of you_** -"

Izuku shouted something into the transceiver device that caused All Might to halt his command. On the fifth floor, Gohan and the other students saw Uraraka grab onto the pillar nearest to her. Before anyone could speak, Izuku hurled his arm into the air in the form of an uppercut. The sudden force created by the vertical motion generated an enormous vortex of rotating wind that wreathed throughout the entire building, shattering the windows and smashing through the multiple floors, before bursting through the roof of the building.

As the tornado of wind swirled dislodged pieces of rubble and debris through the air, Gohan and the remainder of his class could not help but let out small gasps of surprise. No one had expected Izuku to perform such a daring move, especially when faced against a fierce opponent such as Katsuki Bakugo.

Back on the fifth floor, Uraraka used her Quirk to negate the gravity around the pillar that she was holding onto, allowing her to lift it into the air with ease. Class 1-A watched in amazement as a grinning Uraraka swung the pillar, sending the debris that floated between herself and Iida flying towards her startled opponent, who attempted to guard his face. Ochaco used the opening afforded to her to float over the distracted Tenya and grab onto the weapon.

On the ground floor, the thin layer of smoke that had been generated from Midoriya's fiery collision with Bakugo began to clear, allowing Class 1-A to view the aftermath of Izuku's attack. As his friend collapsed to the floor unconscious, Gohan felt his heart flutter with both unease and worry as he saw the damaged state that Izuku's right arm was in.

The deformed limb was nowhere near the worst injury that the half-saiyan had ever seen, but it nonetheless pained him to see his friend in such a mangled and limp state. Although he had only known Izuku for a few weeks, he had quickly come to take a great liking to the good-hearted and earnest green-haired teenager.

Gohan sighed, casting his gaze to the floor. Izuku did not deserve to suffer like this. Though his Quirk was very powerful, he just could not handle the physical backlash. If Izuku did not find a way to use his Quirk with no repercussions - or at the very least minimise the damage it did to his body - then his prospects as a hero looked rather slim.

The implications of such a circumstance saddened the half-saiyan. It would be extremely difficult for Izuku to even make it through the U.A. course without gaining control over his Quirk. He could not even imagine how Izuku would be able to function as a hero with such an awesome yet devastatingly self-damaging power.

The timer on the monitor screen reached zero, signaling that the first match of the battle trials had come to an end.

" _ **The indoor combat training is over. The...the hero team...WINS!**_ " All Might suddenly announced, his loud voice breaking through the stunned silence that had shrouded the surveillance room.

Although his mind was preoccupied with concern for Izuku, Gohan allowed a small smile to cross over his lips. It dawned on him that it had been Ochaco who had ultimately secured a victory for Team A; the hero team had prevailed in their battle against the villain team.

"Man, what a weird way for this to end," Kaminari said. "The losers are practically untouched yet the winners are both on the ground."

Gohan looked up at the screen. Kaminari was correct. An exhausted Ochaco had fallen to the ground, vomiting as a concerned Tenya tried to comfort her. Izuku remained sprawled on the ground, inert as a stunned Bakugo towered over him. Though Bakugo appeared to have been unmolested by Izuku's uppercut, a dazed expression had fallen over his face, his red eyes wide with shock and disbelief. To the half-saiyan surprise, it appeared that the normally explosive ash-blonde teenager was at a loss for words; Katsuki Bakugo was struggling to comprehend the fact that his team had lost the match.

Tokoyami lowered his head, closing his eyes as he said, "How does that old saying go? I guess you could say the heroes lost the battle but won the war."

"This class is so intense." Ashido remarked.

"I hope my match isn't as hardcore as that one." Mineta murmured to himself.

"I feel bad for Midoriya. The poor little guy got slammed. But...I'm gonna be honest, I'm glad I wasn't paired against Bakugo. He would've fried me!" Sero chuckled nervously.

"I just hope that in my match I get the chance to prove my worth! I can't wait to show what I can do!" Kirishima exclaimed, grinning as he slammed his fists together.

"I guess this is what we should expect from our time at U.A." Mezo Shoji muttered under his breath.

All Might cleared his throat, bringing the attention of Class 1-A back to the number-one hero. " ** _Now that the match is over, it is time for review. I will check on Midoriya and have him sent to Recovery Girl' office. While I bring Bakugo, Uraraka and Iida back for their critique, I want you all to think long and hard on how the participants conducted themselves during the exercise as well as their overall performance._** "

With that, the Symbol of Peace left the surveillance room. As soon as he had left, the students began discussing amongst themselves the outcome of the first match.

Kaminari turned to Ashido and said, "Damn, that really was so intense. I gotta be honest - I really didn't expect the hero team to win. I thought for sure the villains had it in the bag. I mean, that Bakugo dude was owning Midoriya near the end of it. And Iida was giving Uraraka a run for her zeni as well."

"Yeah, I'm kinda surprised that Midoriya and Uraraka managed to pull off a win like that," Ashido admitted. "Bakugo and Iida had them both against the ropes for a lot of that match, but in the end, the heroes were able to steal the victory."

"That Bakugo is a piece of work, but I gotta admit, he's a pretty talented guy," Sato said aloud. "And Iida did a great job as well. If Midoriya hadn't directed that insane attack towards the ceiling, I don't think Uraraka would've been able to break past him."

"There's something that I don't really get. Why did Midoriya wait until that moment in the end to use that Quirk of his? Why didn't he use it earlier against Bakugo?" Hagakure asked the rest of the class.

"Yeah, I was wondering the same thing. He could've saved himself a lot of trouble if he had just knocked Bakugo out earlier." Sero remarked, nodding his head towards the invisible girl.

"It was the only way that Midoriya and his partner had any chance at winning," Many of the students turned once again to Todoroki, who fixed his vacant stare towards the monitor screen. "The way his Quirk seems to work, despite the indomitable power it gives him, the backlash severely damages the part of the body that he directs it to. Imagine if he had used it earlier and Bakugo had dodged his attack…"

Kirishima softly whistled. "He would've been left right open. Bakugo would've absolutely wrecked him."

Asui placed her right hand on her chin, "So…Midoriya either knew beforehand that he had no chance at defeating Bakugo in close-quarter combat, or realised it pretty quickly. With or without his Quirk. He put all his trust in Uraraka. He intentionally sacrificed his arm in order to provide her an opening, _ribbit_."

"Considering the disadvantage he has, I guess that was the only thing he could do," Shoji said.

"Indeed. Given the circumstances, he has no other choice but to use his Quirk. Yet we must consider the significant amount of damage that one punch did to his arm." Yaoyorozu knitted her eyebrows, her face settling into a dour expression. "There is no doubt that Midoriya possesses a powerful Quirk. As it currently stands, however, his Quirk is a dangerous liability to both himself and potentially those around him. If I am to be frank, I have concerns for his future prospects as a pro hero."

" _His Quirk only manifested fairly recently_ ," Gohan found himself unable to resist the urge to defend his friend. " _Unlike the rest of us, he hasn't really had any time to get a grasp of his powers. It's all new to him. Given enough time and practice, I'm sure that he'll be able to get a good handle over his Quirk._ "

"And if he doesn't? What if he is unable to master his Quirk? What do you think will happen then?" Yaoyorozu narrowed her stern gaze towards the half-saiyan. "I don't mean to sound harsh. Nor do I wish to belittle Midoriya's resolve. I truly wish him the best in all his endeavors. But I am simply trying looking at his situation objectively. I understand that the two of you are friendly, but right now, given what we have seen of his Quirk, his chances of passing the U.A. Hero Course look rather slim."

" _You don't know that. None of us know that. No one here knows what the future will hold,_ " Gohan insisted. " _By the time we graduate, for all we know, Midoriya could easily rise up to be one of the strongest in our class._ "

"I hate to say it, Son, but Yaoyorozu kinda has a point," Asui croaked softly. "I mean, it's definitely possible that in the future, Midoriya will eventually be able to use his Quirk in a way that doesn't destroy his limbs. But when will that be? By the time that happens, it's likely that he'll simply be too far behind. While the rest of us have progressed steadily through the Hero Course, he'll be struggling to catch up. Maybe...maybe in that case, Mr. Aizawa will actually go through with what he threatened to do yesterday: he will have him expelled from U.A."

"Midoriya definitely has potential though. Especially if he's able to master that awesome Quirk of his," Kirishima asserted enthusiastically. "Even if he fails to pass the first year, that doesn't mean that he's automatically expelled. I mean, if he gets a grip on that Quirk of his, maybe they'll hold him back and have him repeat the year. It'll delay his path to becoming a hero, but he'll still get there in the end."

Jiro shook her head in response to Kirishima. "Do you really think U.A.'s the type of hero academia that allows their students to repeat a year? This place has a reputation for a reason. They demand the very best of their students. I feel bad for the guy, but like Asui said, if Midoriya can't keep up with the rest of us…"

There was no need for Jiro to finish her sentence. The implication of her words was plainly laid out for the entire class to comprehend. U.A. would not give Izuku a second chance. His green-haired friend would need to find quickly find a way to significantly minimise or altogether eliminate the backlash the force of his movements impeded upon him. If he did not, then his dream of becoming a professional hero would come to a sudden and abrupt end.

 _Damnit. Yaoyorozu, Asui and Jiro - all three of them were right._ Gohan lowered his head in defeat. _I wish I could help him, but I have no idea as to how his Quirk works. If only I knew. I could give him some guidance. I could even tra-_

" _ **I'M BACK!**_ " Gohan's musings were interrupted by the sudden return of All Might. " _ **And I have brought your classmates back with me for a critique of the first match!**_ "

With the exception of Midoriya, the combatants of the first battle trial drudgingly followed their teacher into the surveillance room, disheveled and worse for wear. Although Uraraka had seemingly recovered from her bout of vomiting, she still appeared pale and nauseous. In contrast to her ordinarily bubbly nature, she looked rather dispirited. Similarly, Gohan could see a despondent and melancholic glint to Iida's intense stare. It seemed to the half-saiyan that the failure of the villain team to secure the victory was heavily weighing on him.

The person who caught Gohan's attention the most was Bakugo. He would have thought that the ash-blonde teenager would be ablaze with unequivocal fury, seething and glowering at the class with incandescent scorching rage.

To Gohan's surprise, that was not the case. The normally explosive Bakugo looked absolutely shell-shocked; his crimson-red eyes gleamed with an intense flicker of shock and disbelief as he walked silently into the room. There was no anger. There was not a hint of fervent, uncontrollable aggression. His face was plastered with a dazed, dumbfounded expression. It seemed to the half-saiyan as if someone had knocked the wind out of him.

" _ **My young heroes-in-training, I want you all to know this. It does not matter whether you win or lose. You can always take something away from your performance. Both the bad and the good. You can always work to better yourself**_." All Might told Class 1-A, before directing the three combatants to face the rest of the class at the front of the room.

" ** _Well, in spite of the results..._** " A large grin spread across All Might's tanned face. " _ **The MVP of this exercise is young Iida!**_ "

With the exception of Uraraka and Bakugo, the entire classroom gasped. Ironically, it seemed that bespectacled teenager was the most astounded by All Might's surprise announcement.

"But...shouldn't it be one of the heroes instead?" Asui asked, tilting her head to the side. "Since they're the winners?"

All Might placed his hands against his hips, and leaned his upper body forward. " ** _That is indeed a valid question, young Asui. Why didn't I choose either Uraraka or Midoriya?_** "

The Symbol of Peace raised his muscled arm into the air. _**"Would anyone care to venture a guess?**_ "

Before Gohan could think on All Might's question, Yaoyorozu raised her hand. "Sir, I believe I can tell answer your question. Iida embraced this challenge wholeheartedly. Unlike Bakugo, Midoriya or Uraraka, he was the only one of the four to truly adapt to his assigned role. Bakugo's judgment was clouded by a personal grudge against Midoriya. As you pointed out earlier, launching a large-scale attack indoors was a foolish move. It could've been disastrous.

"Similarly, Midoriya's plan was also poorly thought out, especially considering the amount of damage he received. He rendered himself helpless. As for Uraraka, she let her guard down mid-battle, and her final attack was far too reckless given the hypothetical stakes. If she had treated the fake weapon as if it were real, she never would have risked using such an imprecise move."

She lowered her hand, and continued by saying, "Iida was fully prepared for his opponent's arrival. He had a strategy and never lost sight of his mission to protect the dummy weapon, even if he was spoiled in the end. Technically the hero team won, yes, but they took advantage of the fact that this was training. They didn't respect the spirit of the trial."

Yaoyorozu concluded her speech by simply closing her eyes. As the expression on Iida's face morphed into one of teary joy and satisfaction, the rest of the class simply stared at Yaoyorozu in stunned silence. Gohan himself was speechless. He had barely had time to even comprehend All Might's question before she had raised her hand in response. Though blunt, the observations that she had offered as her answer were incredibly thorough and insightful, and were clearly indicative of someone with an astute and intuitive mind.

Gohan could not help but stare at the buxom girl. She was really perceptive and observant. And brutally honest.

From the flustered look on All Might's face, it appeared to the half-saiyan that the Symbol of Peace was just as taken aback by her detailed response as he and the rest of the class. _**"Um, well yes, you overlooked a few things. Young Iida could've relaxed a little bit during the exercise. But otherwise ...you nailed it!**_ "

All Might extended to Yaoyorozu a thumbs-up. " _ **Excellent job!**_ "

But Yaoyorozu was not finished. She turned to face the rest of the class, and placed her hands on her waist. "One should always start with the basics and devote themselves wholeheartedly to learning. That's the only real way to becoming a real hero."

If someone had walked into the room at that very moment, Gohan would not be surprised if they assumed that the tall girl with the spiky black ponytail was their teacher instead of All Might. Yaoyorozu seemed very mature and prudent for her age.

While the rest of the class continued to stare senselessly at Yaoyorozu, All Might withdrew a DynoCap from his pocket and clicked it open, dropping it to his feet. Upon the clearing of the small cloud of smoke, it revealed once more the "HEROES" and "VILLAINS" boxes.

" _ **Alright then, time to blow this joint**_ ," All Might said. " _ **We're gonna move on the next match. Think about everything you saw and discussed as you tackle this training yourself.**_ "

"Yes sir!" The entire class chorused in response.

As All Might began rifling his hands through the boxes, the three competitors of the previous matchup rejoined the rest of the students.

" _Hey guys, you both did a terrific job_ ," As both Uraraka and Iida came over to stand by him, he offered the pair a double-thumbs-up. " _And Iida, congratulations on making MVP_."

Tenya bowed his head towards Gohan. "Thank you, Son. I must admit, I did not foresee such an outcome occurring. While I am pleased, I was convinced that either Uraraka or Midoriya would be proclaimed as the MVP of the match. Despite the recklessness of their final plan, they worked far better as a team than Bakugo and myself. I did the best I could, but I'm afraid that it was not good enough."

" _Nonsense. You did a great job. It's not your fault that Bakugo is such a...hot-head. Like Yaoyorozu said, you adapted to your role the best. You should be proud of your efforts_." Gohan told him.

The half-saiyan turned to Uraraka. The petite, brown-haired girl still looked rather glum. He placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. " _Are you okay, Uraraka? You look somewhat pale._ "

Ochaco nodded. "Oh yeah, I'm fine. Thanks for asking Gohan. My stomach was in complete jitters a few minutes ago, but I'm all good now. I'm just...I'm just worried for Deku, that's all."

" _I'm sure Izuku will be fine. All Might would have mentioned something if he had suffered a life-threatening injury. The nurse will look after him._ " Gohan reassured her.

The Symbol of Peace glanced down at the two balls that he had pulled out from the boxes. A wide grin swept across his face as he saw the combination that he had drawn.

He showcased the balls to the rest of the class, announcing, " _ **Match Two will see Team B as the hero team and Team H as the villain team! I ask now for the hero and villain teams to come forward.**_ "

Gohan took in a long, deep breath, before slowly exhaling. He couldn't help but be slightly surprised that his team was up so soon, and that both Asui and himself would constitute as the villain team. However, that was simply the luck of the draw. He turned his gaze to his partner, who simply nodded her head towards him. The pair stepped forward and joined Team B at the front of the class.

The half-saiyan took a quick look at the heroes, who both stood beside him. The hero team composed of the powerfully built Mezo Shoji and the chilly Shoto Todoroki. The former's hero costume consisted of a tight blue tank-top decorated with six white markings resembled eyes, connected at the top to a darker, indigo-coloured mask. His belt bore another, larger eye shape embedded into the centre, this time yellow, below which he wore slightly baggy trousers to match his shirt and indigo boots.

Todoroki had adopted a simpler approach. He wore a plain off-white shirt with matching pants and zipper boots, with two gold-coloured straps that went over his shoulders. The most noticeable aspect of his hero costume was that the whole left side of his body - as well as the entire left side of his head - was covered in a material that resembled ice. It was certainly an interesting and rather striking design choice that contrasted visually with the rest of his attire. It definitely helped him stand out amongst the students.

 _So these two are the ones we'll be facing, huh?_ Gohan thought as he carefully eyed up his opponents. _They both look like they mean business._

If Gohan remembered correctly, from what he had seen of the sturdy Shoji during Eraserhead's apprehension test, he possessed considerable strength and speed, as well as the ability to duplicate his body parts. His partner, on the other hand, had the power to create, shape and manipulate ice. It was the belief of the half-saiyan that both heroes possessed Quirks of impressive stature.

 _Todoroki's Quirk might be the main issue._ Gohan noted, briefly looking at his own partner. _Asui appears to have the physiology of a frog. Since frogs are cold-blooded creatures, that means that she's highly sensitive to the cold. In order to neutralise her as a threat, the only thing Todoroki has to do is expose her to sudden cold._

Looking between Asui and Todoroki, Gohan made a mental note to discuss the problem with Asui as soon as he could. They would have to take special consideration of her Quirk's weaknesses when formulating their plan against the hero team.

"Oh man, I didn't expect Son to be up so soon!" Kirishima grinned. "Considering that this is the guy who broke All Might's record, I can't wait to see what he can do. With a Quirk like that, he must be a total beast in combat."

"I still remember watching him destroy all those robots during the entrance exam like that," Kaminari clicked his fingers in order to emphasise his point. "He made it look so freaking easy. The dude's like a total freak of nature. And I mean that in the best way possible."

"The other three have pretty cool Quirks as well. I can't wait to see how Son and Asui matchup against Todoroki and Shoji." Sato said.

"No kidding dude. I gotta feeling that this match is gonna be so awesome!" Ashido exclaimed.

"Good luck Gohan!" Ochaco cast him an encouraging smile.

 _ **"Settle down, settle down**_." All Might cleared his throat, putting a premature end to the discussion that arose following the drawing of the second match.

" ** _Todoroki, Shoji, Son and Asui, please come with me. I'll be escorting the four of you to Battle Building B for your trial_** ," All Might turned to address the class. " _ **Everyone else, please wait here. I'll be back shortly**_."

All Might once again took his leave of the surveillance room. It did not take long for both the hero and villain teams to trail after the Symbol of Peace, leaving their remainder of Class 1-A to anticipate amongst themselves the outcome of the second battle trial.

* * *

In spite of the Symbol of Peace's earnest effort to liven the journey to Battle Building B with some chatter, both the hero and villain teams were unresponsive to his attempts at making light conversation. As such, the trek through the fake metropolitan area was mostly conducted in silence. As Gohan and his partner joined Todoroki and Shoji in following the number-one hero, the half-saiyan found that his mind was abuzz with a smattering of thoughts.

 _It's really important that I don't show off too much. I don't want to take away from the efforts of others. Especially my teammate._ Gohan glanced Asui, her face expressionless as she walked beside him. _But her weakness...well, we'll cross that bridge when we get there._

" _ **Ah, here we are my young charges! Battle Building B!**_ " All Might ushered the four students to stand before the door of a large urban building. " _ **While I suspect that the four of you have already familiarised yourself with the rules of the exercise, I will remind you of them anyway. Young Todoroki, young Shoji, in order to win, you must secure the payload hidden somewhere in the building or capturing your opponents within the 15-minute time limit. Similarly, young Son and young Asui, a victory for the villains would see that you either successfully protect the weapon or defeat the heroes. Do you understand what is required of you?**_ "

In response, the four students nodded. With a wide grin, the Symbol of Peace reached into his belt bag and produced an assortment of items for both the hero and villain teams to view.

" _ **Remember to use the capture tape to neutralise a defeated opponent,**_ " All Might gave each student a roll of tape, before moving onto the next article of interest. " _ **I'll give each of you a map of the building. For the villains however, the location of the dummy weapon is marked on your respective maps with a red dot.**_ "

Gohan quickly scanned his copy of the map and found that the red dot was marked on the fourth level of the building. Specifically, the payload was located in one of the rooms situated within the middle of the floor. He looked to his partner, who confirmed her recognition of the weapon's location with a slight nod.

"The final piece of the puzzle: transceivers," All Might handed the hero and villain teams their respective transceiver, as well as the corresponding radio earpiece. " _ **These bad boys combine a transmitter and a receiver into one single package. A two-way audio transceiver. Use them to communicate with your partners. If need be, I'll also be able to contact the four of you individually or as a pair**_."

Gohan stared at the two small electronic devices in his gloved hand, a sudden realisation coming to his mind as he recalled what Bulma had told him about his hero costume. His suit was installed with a built-in communications system that was able to operate as a radio transceiver. He technically did not either the transceiver or radio earpiece offered by All Might. However, he decided against using the comms system. He felt that it would be too much of a hassle to ask All Might for the radio frequency address to link his suit to Tsuyu's device.

With a small sigh, Gohan unlatched the neck hinges located near the bottom of his helmet and took the headgear off, blinking away the expected wave of blurriness as he eyes adjusted to the sudden exposure to sunlight. Tucking his helmet underneath his left arm, he used his right hand to attach the radio earpiece to the outer opening of his ear.

As he put his helmet back on, All Might flashed a thumbs-up at the four students. " _ **Now that we've got that out of the way, it's time to begin. Once the villain pair enter the building, both teams will be given five minutes to prepare. Once I've announced that five minutes has elapsed, the exercise will officially commence.**_ "

Beckoning Gohan and Asui to step forward, the number-one hero placed his large, callused hands on his waist and looked down at the hero pair. " _ **Young Son and young Asui, remember that the key to being successful in this challenge is to embody villainy. Keep in mind the things both myself and young Yaoyorozu spoke of in regards to Bakugo and Iida's performance. Be smart. Be logical. Avoid foolishness. Don't be rash and too hot-headed. Work together and coordinate as a team. Think from the perspective of an evil-doer when formulating a plan of attack.**_

 _ **"Your main priority is protecting the nuclear weapon at all costs. In saying that, I have faith that neither yourselves or the hero team will go overboard like young Bakugo. However, if things get out of hand, I will step in and intervene. Do you both understand?**_ "

"Yes sir." Both Gohan and Asui nodded in affirmation.

All Might grinned at the pair, before opening the door to the building. " _ **Splendid. Alright then, you bad guys can go in and get set up. Good luck to you both**_."

With that, Gohan and his partner stepped inside the building, the door closing behind them, signifying the start of their preparation time.

The hero pair began walking down the narrow, dimly-lit hallway. Gohan glanced down at his map. " _If I'm reading this correctly, there should be a staircase situated near the right-end corner of this floor that should take us all the way to the fourth floor. If we_ -"

"You've already figured it out, haven't you?" Asui asked abruptly.

Gohan turned to look at his partner, his helmeted face concealing a look of befuddlement. " _Figured out what?_ "

"Todoroki. Specifically how his Quirk complicates things. Shoji seems strong, but he shouldn't be difficult to handle. Todoroki's ice Quirk, on the other hand, presents us a huge problem. Especially for me and my amphibian physiology," Asui tilted her head towards Gohan. "When we were walking here, I noticed that you were glancing frequently between Todoroki and myself. It seemed to me that you recognised the problem as soon as All Might paired our teams against each other and that you were trying to figure out a solution."

Gohan had thought that he had been inconspicuous, but that appeared to have not been the case. " _Um, yes. You're correct. I didn't want to say anything before since I was worried that Todoroki or Shoji would overhear us._ "

"That was smart. But since we're alone now, once we get to the fourth floor, we should take the time we have to prepare to think of a way to circumvent Todoroki's Quirk. We can canvas the area and see what we can work with. Otherwise, I'll only prove to be a liability to our team," Asui stroked her chin. "Todoroki is bound to be tough. Did you know that he was one of the four students to have gotten into U.A. High based solely on recommendations? I'll admit I'm surprised that his Quirk's ice-based. Especially considering who his father is, I thought his Quirk would've been related to fire."

" _His father? Is he a pro hero?_ "

"Wait...you don't know? The name Todoroki - you don't recognise it?" When he shook his head, Asui knitted her eyebrows, her dark eyes narrowing in a slight surprise. "He's the son of the pro hero Endeavor."

Beneath his helmet, Gohan's onyx eyes widened. Although the half-saiyan was admittedly nowhere near as knowledgeable about the various Japanese pro heroes in comparison to his classmates and peers, even he was aware of who Endeavor was. He was the number-two hero in Japan; he was second only to All Might himself. From what Gohan had seen on the television, the Flame Hero was a tall, sturdily-built and stern-looking man whose body seemed to be ablaze with streaming orange-red flames.

He didn't appear as frequently as heroes such as All Might or Hawks on the afternoon news bulletin, nor did his harsh and imposing appearance win him much love, but he was still one of the top heroes for a reason. He performed the duties of a professional hero extremely well.

" _Wow, really? I had no idea Todoroki was the son of Endeavor_ ," Gohan said, placing a finger on the chin-guard of his helmet. " _So we have the son of a top hero in our class, huh? That's pretty cool. I guess we're really gonna have to be on our guard_."

"Absolutely. However, as long as we actually work as a team, we should be fine." Tsuyu looked down at her map. "We're nearing the stairway. We should really hurry up. We don't really have any time to waste. "

" _Right. Let's go._ "

Upon reaching the staircase, the two students climbed the flight of stairs until they found themselves on the fourth floor. With the assistance of their map, the villain team navigated through the corridors of the level until they came upon their destination. As the map had indicated, the dummy weapon was situated in the middle of a small and relatively barren room located near the centre of the floor. Save for a few scattered barrels and pieces of debris dispersed across the floor, the only thing of note in the area besides the weapon was a moderately-sized window located on the wall of the far-right side of the room.

" _So this is the thing we're supposed to protect, huh?_ " As the pair gathered around the payload, Gohan lightly tapped his finger against the surface of the large, black bomb. " _If I didn't know it was a fake, I'd almost think it was real_."

"We have around two and a half minutes until All Might starts the clock, _ribbit_. We should start planning our defence," Asui clasped her hands together and rested her knuckles beneath her lower lip. "Before we make any conclusive decisions on how we approach things, I think we should consider each other's Quirks and get a rundown on our strengths and weaknesses. Correct me if I'm wrong, but from what I saw yesterday during the apprehension test, your Quirk augments your physical body and allows you to fly right?"

Gohan turned his attention away from the weapon and back towards his partner. " _Yeah, pretty much. My...uh Quirk is called Superhuman. It gives me super strength, speed, stamina, agility, reflexes, endurance, etc, as well as the ability to fly. I didn't use it yesterday, but I also have the ability to harness and manipulate my life-force energy. I can shoot energy beams and blasts from my hands, and control the level of power and damage that those attacks inflict._

 _"I can also erect energy barriers that I can use to shield myself from damage. As long as they don't suppress it, I also have the ability to sense the location people by detecting their ki. No matter how faint is it, if they have a ki signature, I can detect their presence and movement._ "

The short girl pursed her lips. "That's...that's really impressive, _ribbit_. I had no idea you could manipulate your life-energy. I've heard rumours that that Satan City vigilante the Golden Warrior in addition to his ability to fly can also manipulate ki. I don't think even a hero as powerful as All Might can simultaneously fly and shoot energy beams. The only person I can think of who has similar powers to you is Son Goku. I have to say though, that guy with the grape-head was kinda right when he said you were the Japanese Superman."

" _Haha, yeah I've heard that comparison a lot lately. Never really thought about it like that. I guess in some ways my powers are kinda similar to Superman,_ " Gohan chuckled, placing a nervous hand on the back of his neck as a sheepish grin crossed his face. " _I don't have heat vision or ice-breath though._ "

 _But I am part-alien, and I do have the power to multiply my power ten-to-hundredfold if need be._ Gohan thought to himself. _But she doesn't need to know that. No one does._

"Well in any case, your Quirk sounds extremely well-suited for an offensive front. I guess that's why you did so well in the entrance exam," She said. "As for me, I guess that you could probably tell by my appearance that my Quirk allows me to do whatever a frog can. If this exercise were in an aquatic-based environment, we would have a particularly strong advantage as my Quirk really works best in water. But I can also stick and climb various surfaces such as walls."

As she finished speaking, Asui opened her mouth, revealing a rather large tongue that seemed to only increase in length as it continued to unravel to the tip of her knees. The seemingly elastic pink organ rose back up and swayed through the air, before returning to Asui's mouth with a slight slurping sound.

"I also have a prehensile tongue that I can extend and use to grasp other objects. Even other people if need be. Right now, it's probably my most powerful asset," The frog-girl explained, before looking down at her webbed feet. "Unlike most other people, however, I'm not warm-blooded, _ribbit_. I'm really sensitive to the cold. It makes me very drowsy and sleepy and causes my Quirk to stop functioning properly. I can even be forced into hibernation from sudden exposure. I'll venture a guess and say that Todoroki is well aware of my weaknesses."

The half-saiyan watched as his partner began deliberating over their situation. "If I were him, the first step I would take is to make the battle environment completely inhospitable for me to properly function in. It would have the benefit of taking me out of the exercise as well as distracting you from protecting the weapon. Although we're supposed to act like villains, I expect that he's anticipating you to do the heroic thing and rush to my aid. Possibly even panic and lose focus. Once your guard has been dropped, he'll make sure to immobilise you by freezing you with his Quirk, and then win the exercise by touching the weapon before you can break free and fend him off."

Gohan was quite impressed that the girl had thought so far ahead. He had certainly not. " _Um, if that's his plan, then wouldn't it be best for you to not be in this room? I mean, I know it's short notice, perhaps you could wait in another room or even on a different level of this building until I've captured Todoroki?_ "

He averted his gaze and nervously pressed his fingers together as he continued. " _Once I've relayed his defeat and made sure the room is free of ice, you could come back and help me take down Shoji. I know it's not the most flashy role, and I really want both of us to showcase our skills in this exercise, but if we coordinate together properly it could really help us win_ -"

"Under normal circumstances, I would be more open to your suggestions. However, you failed to consider Shoji himself, _ribbit_ ," Asui cut in. "He looks tough and muscly, but his Quirk doesn't afford him simply increased strength. From what I saw of him yesterday, it seems that he can replicate body parts on the tip of his hands. I don't know how powerful those replicated body parts are, but let's assume that they grant him enhanced senses. All he has to do is replicate an ear and he could pinpoint both our separate locations. And in that case, Todoroki might just freeze the entire building instead of simply this room."

" _Wait...do you really think Todoroki's Quirk is strong enough to freeze the building entire building?_ "

"It's definitely a possibility. After all, he is the son of the number-two hero in Japan," She inclining her head to the right. "We can't underestimate him. Just as he shouldn't underestimate us. Especially you."

Before Gohan could respond, a sudden voice crackled through his earpiece, causing both his partner and himself to stiffen in surprise.

" _ **Heroes and villains, just a heads up, but you now have forty-five seconds till the start of the exercise!**_ " The booming voice of All Might rang in his ear.

 _We don't have much time._ Gohan looked anxiously around the room, attempting to gauge his surroundings. _What are we going to do? If it were just me, I wouldn't be worried. I just don't want my partner to get hurt._

Seemingly sensing his growing unease, his partner stepped forward and placed a reassuring hand on his arm. "Don't worry, Son. I've already thought up a plan. Outside of you simply just attacking the heroes by yourself, it's probably the best chance we have as showcasing our ability to work as a team You said that you can detect the location of a person by sensing their ki, right? Well, I think we can use that to our advantage."

Turning around, the short-statured Asui quickly made her way to the open window and rested her hands against the surface of the window sill. "And if we're lucky, we should be able to defeat Todoroki and Shoji in record time."

* * *

Toshinori Yagi, more commonly known as the hero All Might, glued his bright blue eyes firmly on the surveillance screen before him. Only one-and-a-half-minutes remained of their preparation time. As time passed by, he found himself thinking about the outcome of the first matchup of the exercise.

He had expected that the enmity that Bakugo felt for Midoriya would exhibit itself during the match, but even the number-one hero had been surprised by the level of anger and volatility that the ash-blonde teenager had leveled towards his childhood friend. His aggressiveness and remarkable cunning had forced Midoriya to use One For All. Izuku had still not gained control over the Quirk. Though his sacrifice had helped win the match for the heroes, it had cost him his arm.

 _Midoriya will be fine. Recovery Girl will look after him. She'll have him healed in no time._ Toshinori reassured himself. _And Bakugo...well, his pride has been wounded. He truly did not expect to lose to Midoriya. I simply hope that he takes the right lessons from his defeat and he learns from this experience._

Bakugo was an extremely talented young man who has the potential to be an outstanding professional hero. He simply needed to readjust his attitude. All Might hoped to be the one to guide him towards the right path.

He keenly watched both the hero and villain teams of the second matchup as they strategised, jotting down notes on his pad. Though the exercise had not started, it seemed to the Symbol of Peace that the villain team had built an immediate rapport with each other that was stronger than that of the heroes.

 _Son and Asui actually appear to be taking advantage of the time to properly formulate a working strategy. Todoroki and Shoji, on the other hand, don't seem particularly interested in coming up with a plan of attack._ All Might noted. _It's too early to tell, but perhaps young Todoroki has already planned to exploit young Asui's weakness to distract Son?_

He had been anticipating this particular matchup since it had been announced. Although he was very much interested in seeing how Tsuyu Asui and Mezo Shoji would handle themselves, he could not deny that his eagerness for the match stemmed from his interest in seeing the performances of both Shoto Todoroki and Gohan Son.

From what Toshinori could see, the youngest son of Endeavor had very little in common with his father, beyond similar facial features. Whereas Enji Todoroki was hero characterised by his pride, callousness, arrogance and apparent ambition to surpass All Might himself, he did not gather the same impression from his son. Shoto appeared focused and unemotional, burdened with a sullen and rather cold demeanor.

Toshinori would wait to see if the young Todoroki shared the same sense of arrogance and self-centered superiority complex that his father did. Everything he had read from Todoroki's student file, however, seemed to indicate to the number-one hero that young Shoto had the potential to be a rather powerful pro hero.

Gohan Son was a different story. When he had first laid eyes on the teen in the Class 1-A homeroom, he had been immediately struck by his startling physical resemblance to Son Goku. Though he had been able to discreetly observe the teenager's impressive display during the previous day's apprehension tests, he had not actually taken the time to properly scrutinise the boy's appearance.

He had never met the legendary hero. He had only seen pictures and like everyone else the news footage of his climactic battle with the Demon King. But upon entering the classroom, the Symbol of Peace had almost felt like he had seen a ghost.

It wasn't a perfect likeness. For one thing, Son Gohan did not possess a tail. That had almost thrown Toshinori off, but he reasoned that not all children inherited the physical characteristics of their parents. His complexion was slightly lighter than Goku; his skin tone was not as tanned as the monkey-tailed hero and was more akin to the colour of a peach. As well, whereas Goku's spiky hair was wild and untamed, the teenager's short hair appeared to defy gravity, standing vertically upward in a neatly trimmed spiky formation.

Other than those differences, however, it was a near-identical match. Whether he was his father or simply a relative, All Might was convinced that there was a relation between the Son Goku and Son Gohan. Frankly, he was quite surprised that Aizawa and himself were the only members of the faculty who had figured out the familial connection.

He found it both amusing and slightly ironic that Nemuri Kayama considered herself an expert on Son Goku and was teaching the freshmen classes about him, but had failed to recognise the similarity in appearance between Son Gohan and Son Goku.

He would have thought that Nezu would have already deciphered the connection, but the eccentric principal of U.A. High School had not indicated to All Might or the other members of the faculty that he was aware of the boy's potential relation to the vanquisher of the Red Ribbon Army and the Demon King. Then again, it was entirely possible that Mr. Principal was indeed conscious of the fact, but had not decided to divulge his suspicions. After all, it did not seem that Son Gohan or his family wished for any relation to be made public.

Ultimately, it did not really matter if Son Gohan was indeed the son of Goku. He was a student of U.A. High School and had won his placement in the school based on his own merits and skill. And that was all that mattered. All Might was thankful that the administration of U.A. was not marked by nepotism or preferential treatment.

 _Still, I have to know. I have to talk to him. Even if both Aizawa and I turn out to be wrong, I have to quench this raging curiosity that has caught fire._ All Might noticed that the timer passed the final minute and was approaching the forty-five mark. And if he is the son of Goku, I swear that I will not tell another soul. _It will be our secret._

All Might desperately wished to know if Goku was still alive. If he was, he wanted to meet the spiky-haired hero and thank him personally for his deeds. He had saved the population of Japan from the warmongering ambitions of the Red Ribbon Army, and then had saved the entire world from the wrath of Daimao. Feats that All Might to his great shame had been unable to accomplish. Even the villainous likes of All For One had been scared to cross paths with Goku.

And if Goku was no longer with the living, then he simply wished to express to his son the gratitude he felt towards his father for his heroic efforts. He had never met the monkey-tailed hero, but he felt that he owed him that at least.

The Symbol of Peace pressed the intercom button and leaned forward to speak in the microphone. " _ **Heroes and villains, just a heads up, but you now have forty-five seconds till the start of the exercise!**_ "

All Might slowly exhaled and placed his hands on his hips. He pushed aside his thoughts and clenched his jaw. He was determined to strictly focus on overseeing the second matchup of the exercise

Behind him, the students of Class 1-A were conversing amongst themselves about the upcoming battle trial.

"I think the villains got this one in the bag. Sure, that Todoroki guy has got a pretty flashy Quirk, but goddamn if Son isn't a complete badass," He overheard one of the students tell the other. "You didn't see him wipe out those bots in the entrance exam. He just flew through the battle area and cleaved through those things with his bare hands. Even the zero-pointer was like nothing to him."

"Sure, Son's Quirk is really powerful, but we shouldn't discount Todoroki. Isn't he the son of Endeavor? He's bound to be pretty tough with a father like that," A female student replied. "And the other two - I think their names were Shoji and Asui - don't seem like pushovers either. That Shoji guy is kinda scary looking."

"We didn't get to see Gohan fight the robots during the entrance exam. He was in a different battle centre to us," Toshinori recognised the voice of the student speaking was that of Ochaco Uraraka. "I'm really eager to see how he does, as well as the others. Gohan seems so strong and powerful. And he's super cool. He's probably a really good fighter as well."

"Aye, I echo your sentiment as well, Uraraka. I am also looking forward to seeing how our friend performs in this trial," Tenya Iida responded to the bubbly girl. "Both Son and Asui seem level-headed enough to play the role of the villain well."

 _We'll see if you are right, young Iida_.

The countdown on the timer soon reached zero. Toshinori pressed the button once more and brought the microphone near his mouth, shouting. " _ **ALRIGHT HEROES AND VILLAINS. YOU KNOW THE DRILL. SHOW US THAT YOU'RE THE EMBODIMENT OF GOOD...OR EVIL! YOU MAY BEGIN!**_ "

As the horn blared to signify the start of the match, the Japanese number-one hero looked back and winked at Class 1-A. " _ **As with the first match, my young heroes-in-training, pay attention to the actions of the heroes and the villains. Think from both a heroic and villainous perspective: what would you do in this scenario?**_ "

He turned back to stare at the monitor with both his pen and notepad in hand. On the bottom floor, Todoroki and Shoji set foot into the building. As the hero pair slowly walked down the narrow corridor, he turned his gaze to the fifth floor where Son and Asui were. Asui stood in front of the room window, while Son was stretching his arms adjacent to the payload.

Asui climbed onto the window-sill and crouched down on the bottom ledge, resting her hands against the side frame of the window in order to hold herself steady. Son stopped stretching and then moved to stand in front of the dummy weapon, before crossing his arms over his chest.

All Might squinted his blue eyes at the screen. _What plan have the villains conjured up? Will they be relying on a defensive or offensive strate_ gy?

On the bottom floor, Shoji had stretched out his six arms and activated his Quirk, replicating ears on the tip of his tentacles. All Might realised that he was using his ear-duplicates to detect the location of Son and Asui. A clever tactic; it was one that would ensure that the heroes would not waste valuable time scouring the building to locate the villains or the weapon. As both Son and Asui were in the same room, the heroes were now aware of the whereabouts of the weapon.

Todoroki walked past Shoji and said something to him that caused Shoji to hastily exit the building. All Might furrowed his brow, wondering what the aloof teen was planning. As this was happening, on the fourth floor, Son raised his right arm into the air and clicked his fingers. He then nodded towards Asui, who then proceeded to swiftly shift her hands and feet to the outside surface of the building wall.

"Wait, where's she going?" Eijiro Kirishima asked as Asui slipped out the window and disappeared from the view of the screen. "She's not running away, right? Why is she leaving the room through the window?"

" _Monsieur Might_ , is _la dame_ even allowed to do that?" Yuga Aoyama asked.

" _ **Well...it is technically not prohibited for either the heroes or villains to leave the building. Their respective goals are to capture or defend the nuclear weapon from the rival team. If they must leave the battle zone to achieve either goal, then so be it,**_ " All Might stroked his chin. " _ **I must admit that I am slightly puzzled by why young Asui has chosen to climb down the building wall. We'll have to wait and see, but surely it would be more prudent for-?**_ "

Before All Might could finish his sentence, Todoroki placed his hand on the wall of the corridor and activated his Quirk. A large stream of ice seeped from his hand and quickly swept through the corridor. To the astonishment of All Might and the students of Class 1-A, the sudden swell cascaded beyond the first floor and swept through the various levels of the faux-property, rapidly submerging the entire building in ice. It had happened so fast that for a moment, there was a period of stunned silence as All Might and Class 1-A registered what had happened.

"What the hell, that's freaking amazing!" Sato exclaimed as the torrent of ice climbed up to the roof of the building. "He...he completely froze everything in sight!"

"His Quirk is insane," Ojiro said, his voice filled with awe.

"That's so freaking cool. I wish I had a Quirk like that. With a flashy power like that, I'd get all the ladies. And their panties." Mineta murmured.

"Wait...wait guys, look!" An excited Ashido pointed to the large monitor. "Look at Son!"

All Might and the students of Class 1-A shifted their gaze towards the fourth-floor screen. As their classmate came into view, there were several gasps throughout the basement. As the tidal wave of ice flooded the room he was in, Son levitated himself from the ground and floated above the dummy weapon, avoiding contact with the rapid stream of ice that had descended on the room.

 _I forgot that Son had the ability to fly_. All Might scribbled his observations onto his notepad. _Even if he isn't Goku's child, what a Quirk that boy has. It must be a combination of both his parent's Quirks. I can only imagine what other amazing abilities he plans to showcase during this trial_.

"Given the circumstances, Asui's decision to leave the battle area appears to have been the most practical decision that she could have made." Yaoyorozu suddenly remarked, causing the entire class to turn their heads in her direction.

"What do you mean by that?" Kyoka Jiro asked, tilting her head in confusion.

"The cold!" Tenya Iida cried out, slamming his hand against his forehead. "How could I have not seen it before now? I feel foolish to have not done so. Asui's Quirk appears to grant her frog-related abilities. As amphibians, frogs are cold-blooded creatures and especially susceptible to a sudden subjection to cold. If Asui had been in the room with Son as Todoroki's stream of ice swept through the room-"

"-her sensitivity to the cold would have seriously impeded upon her ability to function in battle. Maybe even take her out of the battle entirely. She would simply have been a liability to Son." Yaoyorozu finished for him.

"Hold on, it seems like you guys are saying that she knew what was going to happen and willingly chose to leave the building to avoid being exposed to the ice," Sero said. "Also, how could she have known the exact moment Todoroki was going to use that ice move? Unless she's psychic or something, that's impossible!"

"I don't believe that Asui is psychic. Frogs aren't clairvoyant. It is my belief that Asui and Son already figured out what Todoroki and Shoji were planning. Either that or they had anticipated that Todoroki would employ a move similar to the one he just did." Yaoyorozu replied.

"Wow, so the villains actually predicted the plan of the heroes?" Uraraka wondered aloud. "If that's true, that's pretty amazing."

All Might leaned forward, his eyes firmly fixed on the monitor screen. While none of the six miniature screens showed where Asui was, he saw that Todoroki was climbing the frozen staircase of the building. Neither he nor his partner - who was casually standing outside the entrance of the building - seemed to be aware of the fact that the villains had not been immobilised by Todoroki's torrent of ice.

 _Though I suppose Todoroki is due for a big shock when he arrives on the fourth floor._

Although he was supposed to be neutral in this situation, All Might found the thought somewhat amusing.

* * *

 _So Todoroki actually did it, huh?_

Using the voice-command Bulma had supplied to him, Gohan activated the heater in his suit, encasing his body with heat. It instantly warmed him up and helped raise his body temperature so that he would naturally adjust to the sudden change in the climate. Of course, he could have easily kept himself warm by raising his ki, but he nonetheless made a mental note to thank Bulma for including an in-built heating system in his hero costume. The CEO of Capsule Corporation had already done more than enough for him by personally designing his costume.

" _Asui. Come in Asui. Are you okay_?" The half-saiyan spoke into his transceiver as he looked around the room, which had been completely flooded with ice.

Gohan smiled when he heard Asui's voice crackle in his earpiece. " _I'm fine Son. I just barely avoided having my legs and knees frozen by Todoroki's ice. I'm on the ground now. Your ability to sense ki really did come in handy. We're lucky that Shoji decided to leave the building instead of accompanying Todoroki to the fourth floor. As long as Shoji doesn't suspect anything and activates his Quirk to find my location, I should be fine. Even the outside of the building is completely covered in ice. I feel a little drowsy, but otherwise, I'm okay._ "

" _That's good to hear,_ " He was genuinely happy to hear that his partner was safe. " _You were right. Todoroki used his ice Quirk to completely freeze the building. The dummy weapon is still intact._ "

" _Good. You still remember the plan right?_ "

" _Yeah, don't worry. I'll contact you once I've subdued Todoroki. I'll talk to you soon._ " Gohan turned off his transceiver and placed it back in his utility belt.

The half-saiyan had avoided having his limbs entrapped by ice by levitating off the ground. He was currently floating above the dummy weapon, waiting for Todoroki to arrive. As he heard the distant and familiar clank of Todoroki's footsteps from outside the room, he tightened his hands into fists and readied himself. Though his face was obscured by his helmet, he adopted a serious expression. He remembered what Yaoyorozu had said about Tenya during her review of the first matchup. Although the villains had lost, Iida had been declared the MVP of the match as he had adapted the best to his role.

 _Act like a villain, Gohan._ He told himself. _You've fought many villains. Just be like Frieza. Or Cell. Or even Vegeta._

He decided to espouse a mindset that amalgamated the traits of the various villains that he had encountered during his adventures with the Z-Fighters. And Bulma had given him just the right tool for that.

The heterochromatic Shoto Todoroki stepped through the doorframe, his cold glare immediately transfixed on the floating visage of the half-saiyan. If he was surprised that Gohan had not been immobilised by his tidal wave of ice, he hid it well, schooling his features with the same dispassionate countenance that they always seemed to hold.

" _ **Well well well, Todoroki. You might as well give up and surrender because you've already failed. We villains did not fall for your ploy!**_ " Gohan cackled, having used the voice alteration system to considerably deepen and distort his voice. " _ **Prepare to meet your doom, hero!**_ "

Before Todoroki could even blink, Gohan accelerated forward and charged at the white-and-red-haired teen, rounding his right arm backward as he launched himself at his opponent. Todoroki bent down on his knees and fell into a defensive stance, his torso shifting slightly to the right as he generated a block of ice around his arms. He crossed his arms over each other and brought them up to protect his face from a potential blow. It seemed that Todoroki was anticipating Gohan to punch him in the face.

However, that was only a feint. Gohan stopped his enclosed fist directly a few inches from Todoroki's arms, before seemingly blinking out of existence. He reappeared behind Todoroki and took him by the back of his collar, before pivoting on his feet and slamming his opponent hard against the wall to his right. Shoto grunted as his back collided with the frozen wall, the ice slightly cracking upon the sudden impact. Gohan jumped back as Todoroki slumped to the floor, his face grimacing with pain.

"I underestimated you, Son. I knew you were fast, but I didn't know you were _that_ fast," As he caught his breath, Shoto got back up onto his feet and fixed Gohan with a steely glare. "I should have known that you wouldn't have been encumbered by my ice. I assumed that inundating the building with ice would have taken the two of you completely by surprise. But it seems like both your partner and yourself figured out my plan."

" _ **Yes! Your fatal flaw was underestimating us villains! My partner and I managed to avoid your barrage of ice!**_ " Gohan pointed menacingly at Todoroki. " _ **You are weak, Todoroki! I expected better from the son of Endeavor. I wonder if your father knows how pitiful you really are. You must disappoint him greatly.**_ "

As the words escaped his mouth, the half-saiyan quickly realised that that had been the wrong thing to say. Gohan's taunt had touched a nerve. Todoroki's heterochromatic eyes suddenly blazed with anger, his impassive face transforming into one that held barely contained rage.

"I don't give a damn what that bastard thinks! Both of you can go to hell!" Todoroki shouted, stepping forward and slamming his left foot on the floor. To the astonishment of the half-saiyan, a strikingly large mass of ice erupted from the soles of his boots, the sudden aggregation of ice puncturing through the ceiling of the room and engulfing everything in its path as it rushed forward towards him.

Having not been given any time to think, the half-saiyan acted upon instinct and lept to the back wall of the room, charging his hand with ki. The heap of ice wasn't large enough to completely immerse the room in solid ice, but it was big enough to overwhelm and freeze Gohan if he did not destroy it. As the large swell of ice descended upon him, Gohan wound his right arm back and threw it in a vertical line, striking the ice with the top of his glowing fist.

The glacier of ice exploded upon making contact with his fist, completely shattering into a clutter of shards that fell to the frozen floor dancing. The recoil that had been generated from Gohan's punch had caused him to flinch, while Todoroki had been forcefully thrown back against the wall.

Underneath his helmet, Gohan's eyes glimmered with slight annoyance as he stared at Todoroki, who was attempting to catch his breath. Though his hands were protected with gloves, both his knuckles and fingers stung from the sudden bite of cold.

At that moment, the half-saiyan forgot the fact that he was playing the part of the villain and heatedly said, " ** _What the heck was that?_** "

Todoroki scowled at him. He hurled his hands forward and sent another barrage of ice towards the half-saiyan. Thankfully, the torrent of ice was nowhere near the size of his previous attack. However, at this point, Gohan was not bothered to continue his fight with Todoroki. He planned to end their battle now before another rashly thought out ice attack could potentially compromise either the weapon or the room.

Gohan moved his right leg forward and rose up on his knee, pivoting on his bottom foot and launching a roundhouse kick at the wave of ice. As the ice erupted into pieces, he brought his leg back to the floor and somehow managed to avoid stumbling on the slippery ice. He then used his incredible speed to warp directly in front of Todoroki, surprising the heterochromatic teen.

Before his opponent could react, Gohan grabbed Shoto Todoroki's upper shoulders, pulled him forward and then lightly kneed him in the solar plexus. Pushing him back, the half-saiyan watched as Todoroki doubled over in pain, the nausea of the unexpected hit causing him to retch up a mixture of vomit and blood. Todoroki then collapsed to the floor and quickly fell limp.

The exercise was not over. He still had to eliminate Todoroki from the match with the capture tape. Gohan took the roll of tape from his utility belt. He crouched down on his knees and used one hand to cross Todoroki's arms behind his back. He used the other to cut off a strip of tape. Fastening the tape around his wrists, he made sure that it was tightly bound, before getting back up on his feet.

Gohan looked down at his unconscious opponent, who lay sprawled on the floor. Todoroki would be fine. He had not struck him hard enough to cause permanent damage to either his nerve plexus or abdominal aorta. The half-saiyan was sure that a trip to the nurse' office would make him better.

 _But what was up with before?_ Gohan wondered. _As soon as I mentioned his father, his mood completely changed. Isn't his father a pro hero? You'd think his father was a villain from that reaction._

He would have to think about that later. Now that he had subdued Todoroki, he had to inform his partner about what had transpired. He used the voice-command to deactivate the voice-alteration system. He did not wish to startle Asui with a deep and heavily distorted voice. As he removed the transceiver from his belt, he hoped that his relay would not interrupt her own endeavor.

" _Asui, come in. It's Gohan. I defeated Todoroki and have already captured him,_ " Gohan spoke into the device. " _How're things on your end? Do you require any backup?_ "

There was a pregnant pause as he waited for Asui to respond. Seconds passed, but it was radio silence. Gohan began to grow worried, his nervousness causing him to grit his teeth. Before he could consider the situation, he heard a loud, resounding clattering noise that resonated through his earpiece, followed by a series of grunts, groans and slow, heavy breathing.

" _Son...that was really fast. Good job with Todoroki_ ," Gohan let out a sigh of relief as Asui's muffled voice came through. " _I could use some of that backup you're offering. Shoji's proving to be far more difficult to defeat than I initially thought_. "

" _Don't worry, I'm on it,_ " Gohan levitated off the frozen ground and glided towards the open window. " _I'll be there in a sec._ "

Gohan slid through the window and floated to the top of the battle building. He drifted forward to the front of the building and looked down to the base of the building. Near the entrance, Tsuyu Asui and Mezo Shoji were currently engaged in a battle that bordered on close to rivaling his skirmish with Todoroki.

To avoid Shoji's hefty blows, Asui was constantly moving and keeping herself at a safe distance from Shoji. She used her tongue to parry and block his attacks, as well as to keep him away from her. A smart tactic. Asui appeared resourceful, but her slight frame ensured that she would not be able to pose a physical challenge to the hulking Shoji.

Asui managed to wrap her tongue around Shoji's front two arms and tied them together, pulling on them the conjoined limbs hard. Shoji refused to budge however and used his other four arms to pry her tongue off.

Before Asui could retract her pink organ, Shoji grew several duplicate hands and grabbed onto her tongue. He then rotated on his feet and spun around, tugging roughly on her elongated tongue. His partner was forcefully pulled towards Shoji, who used his other arms to grab her by the front of her costume as she neared.

Though it had been fun to observe the battle between the frog-girl and the tall and muscular Shoji, Gohan knew that if he did not intervene soon, she would be in serious trouble. And so he dropped down from the top of the building and landed in front of Shoji and Asui with a resounding thud, cracking the pavement as he touched down onto the ground. As Gohan had expected, his sudden and unexpected arrival startled Shoji, causing his multiple arms to release on both Asui and her elongated tongue.

His partner drew her tongue back into her mouth and quickly retreated to stand by Gohan, whose helmet obscured the grin that had crossed over his mouth.

" _Looks like you really did have a handful_ ," Gohan said to his partner. " _Good job keeping him at bay until now. How long have the two of you been fighting for_?"

"Around the same time that Todoroki and you were fighting, _ribbit_ ," Asui answered, keeping her voice low as her eyes fixed firmly on the remaining villain. "So around a minute. I was surprised at how easy it was to ambush him - he was just standing outside the entrance."

Shoji had let down his guard and placed all his trust in Todoroki, letting him do all the work and reap all the benefits. The hulking giant had acted in a manner that they had anticipated. Everything had gone just the way they had planned.

"Son. I'm surprised to see you here. I thought Todoroki would have already secured the bomb by now," Shoji sighed, extending his six arms from his body and getting into a defensive stance. "So Todoroki must have failed, huh? Well, I can't say I'm surprised. I told him that we shouldn't underestimate you, but he didn't listen. I knew I should have gone with him. I had a gut feeling that you sent your teammate out here to distract me from rushing in to help him."

" _I defeated Todoroki a few minutes ago. He's out of the game now, Shoji. Just like you'll be,_ " Gohan was surprised to hear his own voice inflected with both confidence and slight arrogance. He could only blame it on his desire to roleplay as a villain. " _You should've listen to your gut."_

Asui tugged on Gohan's hand, "How do you want to approach this, Son? I think that if you pin him down, I can wrap the capturing tape around one of his arms. That's all we need to win this match."

Gohan flashed her a thumbs-up. " _Sounds like a plan. Heads up, I'm going in._ "

The half-saiyan darted forward and rushed at the six-armed teenager, surprising Shoji with his remarkable speed. Gohan wished to see what his opponent would do. Instead of avoiding his charge, his opponent chose to meet him with a bombardment of punches that the half-saiyan swerved and weaved right past. Shoji then attempted to wrap all six arms around Gohan's upper body, seemingly trying to pin the half-saiyan and lock him into a bear hug.

However, Gohan ducked out of the way and used the brief opening in Shoji's defence to softly elbow his opponent in the ribs, causing him to grunt in pain. Shoji then leaned back and shifted his weight onto his left leg, targeting Gohan with a powerful front kick to the chest. The half-saiyan however sidestepped the attack and quickly grabbed hold of Shoji's exposed right leg, before pushing him back.

As the tall and imposing teen stumbled backward, Gohan struck Shoji's chest with an open palm thrust, before moving behind the off-balanced Shoji curled his arms underneath his armpits. A nostalgic grin spread across Gohan's lips as he thought of his next move. He pulled arms firmly backward, clasping his fingers behind Shoji's coarse neck while pinning Shoji's strong legs with his own feet.

The half-saiyan then forcefully swept Shoji off the ground and slammed him onto the ground, while maintaining a tight grip over his large and muscular opponent. Shoji struggled in Gohan's hold, trying desperately to break free, but Gohan would not budge. His restraint of Shoji ensured that all six arms were no longer able to move as freely as they used to be.

"Damn it Son. You actually got me in a full nelson, huh?" Shoji spoke through gritted teeth, groaning as he repeatedly bucked upward against Gohan's chest. "Not many people can do that. Even my older brother can't keep me pinned. Your strength must really be something else."

After Tsuyu hurried forward and wrapped capture tape around the tip of one of his arms, the half-saiyan finally released his hold over tentacle hero.

" _You did a great job, Shoji._ " He said gently.

Over the intercom system of Battle Building B, All Might's loud and booming voice called out the result. " _ **AND WITH NEARLY TEN MINUTES REMAINING, THE WINNERS OF THE SECOND MATCHUP OF THE BATTLE TRIALS: TEAM H!**_ "

Gohan stood up and extended his hand to Shoji. " _I really did mean it. You and Todoroki were awesome opponents. You guys have some really powerful Quirks_."

Shoji took the offered hand and was pulled back up onto his feet. "Thanks for the compliment, Son. But...that doesn't change the fact that our team lost. You and Asui...you guys won this match. You guys beat us fair and square. And so quickly too."

The grey-haired teenager and turned his head to look at Asui. "I guess Todoroki wasn't the only one who placed too much confidence in his abilities. I should have been more vigilant. When you first attacked me, you took me completely by surprise. Even after I directed my attention towards you, I didn't take you seriously. I stupidly thought you'd be easy to take down. If I hadn't underestimated you, then perhaps our match would still be going. Maybe even the result would be different."

Neither Gohan or Asui said anything in response to Shoji's remark. In order to spare Shoji's feelings, they did not say it aloud. However, both members of Team H were confident in their opinion that the outcome of the match would not have different, regardless if Shoji had been alert and more focused. He hated to say it, but Todoroki and Shoji had simply been outmatched and outgunned.

Shoji stepped away from the victorious villains, using his four upper arms to rub his two front arms. From the slump in his shoulders and the solemn cast to his eyes, it seemed to the half-saiyan that he was mulling over his teams' loss.

Gohan took the time to remove his helmet, holding it in the space between the crook of his right elbow and waist while using his left hand to comb away at his mussy dark hair. He inhaled, filling his nostrils with warm air, before turning to Asui and giving her a thumbs-up. "It seems like that plan of yours worked Asui. We won."

Asui supplied him a small smile. "Looks like we did. And with time to spare, _ribbit_."

Before Gohan could think of something to say, he found his eyes being drawn to the sudden appearance of two small chattering robots, who wheeled past the three students and entered the battle building through the door. In between the two robots was a stretcher conjoined at their hips.

"I suppose that's for Todoroki, huh?" Asui raised her eyebrow at Gohan. "You didn't seriously hurt him, right?"

"What? No, of course not!" Surprised by her question, Gohan briskly shook his head. "I knew he wouldn't simply surrender, so I knocked him out. He's unconscious but otherwise unharmed."

Asui slowly nodded. "Don't worry, Son. I didn't actually think you hurt him. At least not intentionally. We don't know each other very well, but I don't get that merciless vibe from you. You're nothing like that Bakugo guy, who despite his talent is too much of an asshole. You're really powerful, but you know how to restrain yourself. And look out for your teammates."

Following the appearance of the medical robots, the three students did not have to wait long for the arrival of All Might.

" _ **Young Son! Young Asui! Excellent job! You defeated the villains and completed the exercise in under five minutes. What a fantastic performance!**_ " The Symbol of Peace was smiling broadly as he marched towards them. " _ **You had both best prepare for a grilling when we return to the surveillance room. Young Asui, when it was discovered where you had gone to upon exiting the building, you can imagine the rest of your classmates' shock when you attacked young Shoji! And when your partner came to assist you! They practically erupted into a frenzy upon your capture of Shoji.**_ "

All Might moved directly behind Gohan and his partner and lightly clapped his large, calloused against their backs. " _ **And I can't even begin to describe their visceral reaction to your defeat of young Todoroki, Son! Even I was surprised at how quickly that battle came to an end! A spectacular effort, my dear lad! I can see that my record was certainly not defeated by a chump!**_ "

Gohan's pale face flushed with embarrassment at All Might's compliment. The half-saiyan was not the type of person to seek out compliments or revel in those paid towards him, but he couldn't help but feel a certain level of pride and enjoyment from All Might's commendation. From someone as esteemed and revered as the Symbol of Peace, it meant a great deal coming from him.

All Might looked to Shoji with a reassuring smile. " _ **Do not fret over the defeat of your team, young Shoji. There is no shame in losing. Even the finest heroes of our age are prone to defeat. It's important that you identify your mistakes and learn from them; both the strongest and the weakest among us will always have room to improve. I'm sure even mighty warriors such as Son Goku and Hercule Satan did not start off as the powerful heroes that they have come to be known as today."**_

 _He's right._ Gohan thought. _It took many years of martial arts training - as well as copious amounts of physical and mental body conditioning - for Dad to become as strong as he was. He didn't just start off as the greatest fighter in the universe. He had to work hard for it._

As he contemplated what All Might said, he managed to miss the brief glance that the number-one hero had sent his way.

Shoji bowed his head towards their teacher. "Thank you, sir. I'll make sure to take your words into consideration."

As he finished speaking, the medical robots emerged from the building, with an unconscious Shoto Todoroki laid out on the stretcher. The two robots seemed to be arguing amongst themselves as they rolled away from the battle area with the insensate teenager.

All Might softly whistled, before patting Gohan on the shoulder. " _That was a clean strike you got in there, Son. Very controlled and precise. I'm glad you didn't feel the need to use any excessive attacks. Todoroki will be fine. And despite the severity of his injuries, as will Izu-I mean young Midoriya_."

The Symbol of Peace then thrust his arms into the air, the seemingly omnipresent grin perpetually spread across his face widening even further as he boomed, " ** _Young Son, young Asui and young Shoji, it is time for a review of the exercise! We'll return to the surveillance room and go over the results. I'm sure your classmates have much to say about the outcome of this match!_** "

Gohan gulped, feeling the insides of this stomach constrict as the three students began to follow All Might. While he was eager to return to his classmates, he was not looking forward to the inevitable acclamation he would no doubt receive.

 _Our match didn't come to a flashy end like the first match. Besides Todoroki freezing the building, there isn't really much to talk about._ Gohan attempted to assure himself. _Surely...surely it won't be that bad? I'm sure All Might was overstating their reaction_.

* * *

Unfortunately for Gohan, it was quickly made apparent that All Might had in fact not been embellishing their response to the match. If anything, it appeared to the half-saiyan that he had been underselling it. As he stepped into the room, he was immediately surrounded by near the entirety of Class 1-A, with several of the more enthusiastic students practically pouncing on him as he reentered the surveillance room.

"Holy crap, that was freaking amazing!" The yellow-haired Kaminari burst out, slinging his arm over Gohan's shoulder. "Obviously I knew you were powerful, but the way you handled Todoroki was so cool. You took him out with one hit!"

"That was so cool, Son!" Ashido exclaimed, sending a large, warm smile his way. "You just punched that ice barrage Todoroki sent your way like it was nothing. What a badass move."

"I had no idea you could fly. I remember someone mentioning it yesterday, but I thought they were exaggerating. Yet you actually flew into the air. That's so freaking sweet. Is there anything you can't do?" Sero wondered.

"Sometimes, it looked like you were blinking out of existence. You were so fast, Son! I could barely see you when you were fighting Shoji." A female voice, whom he presumed to be Hagakure called out.

"Yeah, she's right. It was so manly!" Kirishima gave Gohan a two-fingered salute, before patting him on the back. "Everything happened so damn fast. It was almost like you weren't even trying."

"Your team completed the exercise far more quickly than anyone in our class anticipated," Yaoyorozu remarked, placing her hands on her hips. "Even I was surprised at how swiftly you captured both Todoroki and Shoji."

"Say Son, do you practice martial arts?" Ojiro asked with an eager grin. "We should spar sometime."

"Wow, you're so awesome Gohan! No wonder you came first in the entrance exam!" Uraraka said loudly, smiling widely at him.

As other students continued to call out and heap praise at his feet, Gohan swallowed down a lump in his throat. The half-saiyan felt completely overwhelmed by the seemingly endless and relentless attention he was receiving. If he was being honest with himself, it was making him rather uncomfortable. he didn't believe that he deserved it. He felt that Asui was the most entitled of the two to bear the praise of Class 1-A. After all, it had been her plan that had allowed them to succeed.

" _ **Settle down everyone. Settle down!**_ " The booming voice of All Might reverberated through the room. " ** _I understand that you are excited about the outcome of the match, but we should make haste! Please, step away and allow your classmates to come through_.**"

The Symbol of Peace's words brought the commotion that had gathered around the half-saiyan to a halt, causing the remainder of Class 1-A to quiet down and pull away. As the three students made their way to stand in front of the room, Gohan flashed their teacher a quick, grateful smile. He wasn't sure if that had been his exact intention, but it seemed to the half-saiyan that All Might had sensed his discomfort and had moved to intervene.

Gohan turned his gaze towards his assembled classmates. Most of the students of Class 1-A were either gawking or ogling at him. Of course, the notable exception to this was Katsuki Bakugo. He had not given much thought to the incandescent blonde since the end of the first matchup, but the half-saiyan had somewhat expected Bakugo to have welcomed him back with a menacing stare glare imbued with absolute fury.

Instead, he was surprised to find that a vacant expression had befallen the face of Bakugo. His stare was impassive and emotionless, the look in his crimson-red eyes blank and inscrutable as he fixed his gaze on Gohan's face.

" _ **Alright, everyone. Now that the match has ended, we'll now move onto the review of the battle trial**_ ," Gohan tore his eyes away from Bakugo and looked towards the Symbol of Peace, who gestured his hands towards their assembled classmates. " _ **Before I announce who the MVP is, does anyone have any thoughts, observations or critiques they'd like to share in regards to the match? If so, lay it on us! It's a free forum after all!**_ "

To the surprise of the half-saiyan, with the exception of the vacuous Bakugo, everyone in their class raised their hand. Even their teacher seemed to be taken aback by the number of people who wished to comment on the match.

The Symbol of Peace pointed to Tenya, who cleared his throat and began speaking, "Sir, the overall result of the battle trial clearly indicates that the villain team deserves many commendations for their performance during the match. In contrast to the heroes, Son and Asui worked extremely well together and were able to coordinate properly as a team. In addition, the pair were able to successfully think up a plan that once employed successfully curtailed Todoroki and Shoji."

Jiro raised her hand and spoke up, "As Yaoyorozu and Iida said earlier, sir, the villains were astute enough to recognise that Todoroki's Quirk represented a major problem. If Asui had remained with Son when Todoroki had used his Quirk to freeze the building, she could potentially have been a liability to him and negatively impacted on their overall chance to protect the fact that they were able to predict such an outcome should be applauded. I don't know how they figured it out exactly, but they anticipated Todoroki's plan and successfully countered it. Still, Todoroki's plan was incredibly flawed."

"I gotta say, they were lucky that Todoroki guy decided to go at the weapon alone. They hedged all their bets on that guy being too cocky and so sure of himself." Sato remarked.

A grinning Kirishima tightened his right hand into a fist and slammed it into his left palm. "Asui didn't just sit around and wait for Son to do all the work. She attacked Shoji and kept him preoccupied while Son acted like an absolute badass and used his superior combat ability and flashy powers to take Todoroki down. Mad respect to them both for that. They didn't just showboat either - they made sure to take them down as quickly as possible. Unlike the last match, the villains of this round actually had some idea about how they were going to win."

" _ **Excellent points made, my students,**_ " All Might said. " _ **I definitely agree that Team H deserves much praise for how they handled themselves during the trial. Now, what about the heroes? What do you lot have to say about Todoroki and Shoji's performance?**_ "

Once again, near the majority of the class raised their hands, eagerly wishing to make a comment. This time, it was Fumikage Tokoyami who All Might selected to speak. "Sir, Todoroki's overconfidence and severe underestimation of the capabilities of his opponents were what ultimately led his team to lose the match. I'm not saying that they would have won had they been more careful, but if he hadn't been so cocky and reckless, his team might've stood a better chance."

"I agree with Tokoyami," Yaoyorozu nodded to the raven-headed student, before continuing with, "Todoroki's hubris and lack of communication with his partner contributed greatly to the downfall of his team. One of the main components of this exercise is teamwork. In order to win, it is important for the members of the two respective teams to work perfectly tandem with each other to either defend their payload or capture the weapon.

"For the part of the villains, Son and Asui exemplified this perfectly, and this ultimately won them the game. The same cannot be said for Todoroki or Shoji for that matter."

"Yeah, I hate to say it, but Shoji isn't exactly faultless either," The blonde-haired Ojiro remarked, scratching his chin as his thick long tail wrapped around his waist. "While he was waiting outside the building for Todoroki to capture the weapon, he let his guard down. If he had kept his Quirk active, Asui wouldn't have got the jump on him."

Gohan glanced at the hulking giant. Though his face was partially covered, with his head bowed and his eyes closed, Shoji looked almost as crestfallen as Iida had been upon the conclusion of the first matchup.

" _ **Very well put, young heroes. Astute observations made by you all**_ ," All Might looked back at the three participants of the second matchup. " _ **My own critique of the match echoes much of what you all have said. Though both young Todoroki and Shoji displayed impressive martial aptitude, their failure of the heroes to work together and account for the capabilities of their opponents was what led to their undoing.**_

" _ **Contrast this with the willingness of the villains to cooperate and work effectively as a team. The villains did not underestimate the heroes - the two of them even molded a plan that played to their own strengths and worked around their weak points. That's what a smart hero should do. I cannot stress enough that Son and Asui both did an excellent job.**_ "

All Might smiled at Gohan and his partner, before turning back to face the other students and continuing. " ** _That is why I have decided to declare both Son and Asui as the joint-MVPs of the second matchup_!"**

In reaction to All Might's announcement, there were several surprised murmurings amongst Gohan's classmates. From the corner of his eye, the half-saiyan noticed that even Asui herself looked somewhat stunned by All Might's declaration.

All Might flapped his large hands in the air, signaling for the class to quieten down. " _ **Allow me to explain why I came to this decision. For Asui's part, I was impressed by how quickly she recognised that her Quirk's sensitivity towards the cold represented a possible handicap to her team. She removed herself from the battle area, which allowed Son to focus strictly on neutralising Todoroki. Instead of waiting for Son to do all the work, she remained proactive and ambushed Shoji, taking him by surprise.**_

 _ **"However, when she realised that she couldn't defeat Shoji by herself, she didn't balk at the chance to request the assistance of her partner. One of the marks of a true hero, ladies and gentlemen, is knowing when to ask for help in defeating a villain. There has been no hero in the history of mankind who has been able to defeat every villain that has come his or her way. Even I have needed help on countless occasions to defeat a particularly challenging or vicious villain**_."

All Might extended a thumbs-up to Asui. " _ **Splendid work, young Asui!**_ "

The frog-girl bowed towards their teacher, his compliments causing her face to slightly brighten. "Thank you very much, sir."

 _She deserves all the praise._ The half-saiyan smiled at his partner. _She was absolutely brilliant._

" _ **Now, for the part of Son, I must applaud the prowess he displayed in fighting both Todoroki and Shoji, as well as the clear restraint he exhibited,**_ " All Might rubbed his hands together. " _ **I will admit, I was initially concerned that he was toying with Todoroki, but it became quickly apparent that his deliberate antagonism was designed to distract Todoroki from contacting his partner or formulating an effective counter-strategy. His anger blinded him from thinking rationally. It also aided in his adoption of a villainous mindset. Excellent work, young lad**_!"

Like Asui, Gohan respectfully bowed towards his teacher. "Thank you, All Might sir."

As Gohan, Asui and Shoji rejoined the rest of their class, All Might thrust his arms in the air. " _ **Alright! That ends the second matchup. Let us move onto the third battle trial!**_ "

"Yes sir!" The class replied.

As the Symbol of Peace prepared for the drawing of the third matchup, the class began conversing amongst themselves. The half-saiyan felt someone tap him on the shoulder. He turned around to find Uraraka staring at him, a broad smile unfurled over her face. "You really did such a great job, Gohan. I think it's awesome that Asui and you both were awarded MVP. You both totally deserve!"

"Thanks, Uraraka. That means a lot." A small grin spread across his lips. Her enthusiasm was quite infectious. "Though I have to admit, I think All Might should have solely awarded Asui the title of MVP. It was her plan that we followed to victory. Not only did she predict that he would freeze the entire building, but she also correctly guessed that Todoroki would come for the weapon alone The reason we won was because of her. I didn't really do anything special."

"There is no need to be so humble, Son. Asui and yourself both equally deserve the title of MVP. The two of you played the part of the villain extremely well." Iida, who was standing next to Uraraka, nodded towards Gohan.

A sheepish chuckle escaped Gohan's mouth as he placed a hand on the back of his neck. "I was only following your example, Iida."

As Gohan turned his attention back to the front of the room, he overhead Sero tell Tokoyami, "The first two battle trials were a pretty freaking spectacle."

"Indeed," Tokoyami responded. "The first ended with a pyrrhic victory for the heroes, while the second ended with a quick and decisive victory for the villains. Will the subsequent matches be as exciting?"

"I'm actually really pumped for my match now!" Kirishima said excitedly to Ashido. "My Quirk isn't as flashy as the ones that Son, Bakugo or Todoroki have, but I can't wait to show the rest of these guys what I can do!"

Ashido grinned at the redhead. "Same here! Whether I'm on the hero or villain team, I really want to win!"

" _ **Alright young heroes-in-training. Let's jet on over to the next match!"**_ Gohan and the rest of Class 1-A brought their attention back to All Might, who had already selected the teams. " _ **The third matchup will see Team G as heroes against Team I as villains!"**_

Gohan quietly watched as the two teams stepped forward and faced the rest of the class. The hero team was made up Kaminari and the purple-haired Jiro, while the villain pair consisted of Ojiro and the invisible Hagakure. He smiled as he put his helmet back on. He greatly looked forward to seeing how the other students of Class 1-A would handle themselves in their respective battle trials.

* * *

Although the battle trials that followed did not prove to be as momentous or action-packed as the majority of the Class 1-A had probably hoped for, Gohan had still found them to be quite eventful and interesting. If anything, it had allowed him to get a better grasp and understanding of the Quirks possessed by his classmates.

The conclusion of the final matchup of the battle trials - which had seen the heroes Ashido and Aoyama narrowly lose to the villain team Tokoyami and Sato - had brought an end to their first Foundational Hero Studies lesson. Before sending them back off to their homeroom, All Might had led the students of Class 1-A to the exit tunnel of Training Ground Beta for his final farewell.

" ** _Alright, that's a wrap! Super work, my young charges,"_** Towering above the assembled students, the stalwart All Might grinned down at Class 1-A. " _ **You guys really stepped up to the plate. And besides Midoriya, we didn't have any major injuries. I see that as an absolute win! You should be proud - an excellent first day of training all around."**_

Beside him, Asui raised her hand, "It's nice to hear some encouraging words after our homeroom class. Mr Aizawa was kinda a buzzkill."

Asui's words prompted a sudden image of their homeroom teacher's frightening smile to flash through his mind. It seemed that Gohan was not alone in his recollection of Eraserhead's behaviour during the Quirk Apprehension Test. Alongside the majority of his class, Gohan found himself nodding in agreement with Asui.

" ** _No worries!_** " All Might raised his arms into the air, his blue cape flapping behind him. " _ **I was more than happy to bring such staggering positivity to my alma mater!**_ _ **"**_

All Might then turned to face the exit tunnel and waved his hands towards Class 1-A in a farewell gesture. " _ **But that's**_ _ **all for today folks!**_ ** _I should go check in on young Midoriya! Now...watch how a pro exits!"_**

And with that, the Symbol of Peace turned around and bolted off down the tunnel, the outline of his hulking silhouette quickly disappearing as he hurried further down the passage. The wind generated from the sudden speed of his exit and the flurry of his cape left a large trail of dust in his wake.

"Wow. All Might's such a badass. Now that guy...that's what I call a freaking superhero!" Kaminari said with a wide grin.

Ojiro nodded in agreement, though a look of dejection slowly spread across his face as he said, "Definitely. Out of all the active heroes today, All Might's easily the greatest of them. But man, I really wish I could run that fast though."

The grape-headed Mineta covered his mouth with his hands and gushed, "Super awesome."

"That's the number-one hero for you. He's so badass!" Ashido rubbed her hands together in an excited manner.

"Man, he's just as cool as Mr Satan!" Sero exclaimed.

Beneath his helmet, a smile unfurled across Gohan's face. The effusive reaction of his classmates only served to remind the half-saiyan as to the widespread adoration and recognition All Might received from the populace of both Japan and the rest of the world. It was definitely not undeserved. Though Hercule Satan was the most popular figure in the world, All Might remained a source of immeasurable influence and inspiration for many pro heroes and hero students.

He had taken up the mantle that his father had left behind in his absence from the living world and had become a beacon of hope and security for the average earthling citizen. His gregarious and affable personality even reminded Gohan of his father.

In his mind, the Symbol of Peace has truly lived up to his reputation.

Before he could think further, Iida stepped forward. He made his way to stand in front of the class and loudly cleared his throat, drawing their attention to him.

"Everyone, please settle down!" Tenya said loudly. "Now that our Hero Studies class is over, we should make make haste and proceed to the changing rooms. Once we have changed back into our school uniforms, we must head back to our homeroom class for our next lesson! We don't want to keep our teachers waiting!"

With that, Iida swirled around and began walking in long, decisive steps towards the exit. Around him, several of Gohan's classmates were clearly unimpressed with Iida's attempt to take charge of the class, with some grumbling under their breaths in annoyance while others barely managed to conceal their snorts. Nonetheless, the students of Class 1-A began following Iida into the tunnel, chatting amongst themselves about the outcomes of their respective battle trials.

As he was about to follow his classmates in their departure of Ground Beta, the half-saiyan suddenly stopped in his step, wincing as he felt an unexpected drop in power.

 _That drop in ki level...that feels like All Might!_

Gohan squinted his eyes in the direction that All Might had departed in, and tried to focus in on the _ki_ signature of his teacher. He breathed a small sigh of relief as he felt the familiar and pulsating _ki_ of the Symbol of Peace. His life force had fallen considerably from what it had been only a minute beforehand, but it had stabilised to a point where it was clear that All Might was neither seriously injured or in any danger of dying.

Nonetheless, the half-saiyan narrowed his onyx-coloured eyes in confusion. Although he could sense that All Might was fine, he was still worried about the wellbeing of his teacher. He could only wonder as to what had caused such an abrupt fall in power.

While he pondered on his teacher's health, next to him, a croaky voice asked, "Is something wrong, Son?"

Gohan turned to his right and found himself looking down at Asui, her large, dark oval-shaped eyes regarding him with a questioning gaze. He had been so caught up in his thoughts that he had failed to register her continued presence. Nor had he taken note of his surroundings. Looking around him, he quickly realised that near the entirety of Class 1-A had already left Ground Beta. The only students who remained in the faux city were both Asui and himself.

Not wishing to burden his classmate with his musings, the half-saiyan simply shook his head. " _Um, uh no, there's nothing wrong. Nothing wrong at all. I was just-I was just thinking about today's events, that's all. All the matches were pretty exciting to watch, huh? And everyone in our class seemed really taken by our match especially. I can't help but think that-"_

"Why did you hold back against Todoroki and Shoji, Son?"

The half-saiyan blinked, her sudden and unexpected question completely catching him off guard. He could not understand why she would ask such a thing.

" _Wha-what? No, of course not!"_ Gohan stammered, his voice cracking as he spoke. " _Asui_ , _why would you think-_?"

Asui's mouth contorted into a dry smile. "I don't know for sure if my suspicions are correct or not - since I wasn't there to witness your fight with Todoroki - but I thought it was pretty telling by the way you subdued Shoji. You took him out fairly quickly, sure, but it looked to me like you were putting on a show. And Shoji is a very strong person with a remarkable Quirk. He would be a challenge for anyone of us. He certainly was for me. He was giving it his absolute all against you, yet it almost seemed like you didn't take him seriously as a threat. At least subconsciously."

As an increasingly nervous Gohan struggled to keep his composure, the frog-girl continued, "It's only our second day at U.A. High School. Son. Besides the amazing power you displayed with your Quirk during yesterday's apprehension test, I don't really know anything about you. None of us do. And you don't know anything about me. None of us really know anything about each other, _ribbit_.

"However, the snippets I gathered from our brief conversations indicate to me that you aren't a particularly arrogant or self-conceited person. A little oblivious about the world, perhaps, but despite your inherent abilities, you aren't pompous or full of yourself. You don't view yourself as superior to the rest of us.

"That's why I believe that when you held back against Shoji, you weren't doing so to mock him or patronise him," Asui tilted her head as she stared inquisitively directly at his helmeted face. "But my question still stands: why were you holding back, Son?"

Gohan opened his mouth to speak, but no sound would come out of his mouth. He did not know what to say. Words completely failed him - his classmate had charged him with an assertion that they both knew to be true. He had tried to make it seem that he was not holding back, but he had evidently failed. He wondered if the other students of Class 1-A suspected the same as Asui?

Asui was far more observant than he had initially given her credit for her. Gohan knew that no matter how much he vehemently he denied it, she would know him to be a liar. And that was not the first impression that he wanted to impart on his classmate.

The half-saiyan closed his eyes and turned away from the frog-girl, taking a deep breath. He had no other choice. He would just have to tell her the truth and live with the consequences. He hoped that she would not tell their other classmates. Or worse, their teachers. He highly doubted that their homeroom teacher would approve. He had even said as much during yesterday's apprehension test. He wanted his students to showcase their full potential.

" _You're right. I was holding back against Shoji. And Todoroki_ ," Gohan finally answered, solemnly bowing his head. " _You're also right about the fact that I wasn't trying to treat them with condescension. That never even crossed my mind. Arrogance has already cost me so much. I would never do that to anyone. I just...I just wanted to give you guys a chance to show off your abilities. I wanted to give you guys a chance to shine."_

Gohan breathed out, before turning his head and looking back at the frog girl. Asui was staring at him with a slightly confused expression. "What do you mean when you say 'give you guys a chance to shine'?"

" _Do you remember right before our battle trial started what I saying about my powers? Especially about being able to sense the ki of lifeforms?_ " When she slowly nodded, Gohan softly sighed, " _I forgot to mention one other skill I have that I learnt-I mean, one other ability my Quirk allows me to use. I can sense the power level of a person. You could also call it their battle power or their fighting strength._

 _"It's pretty complicated to explain - it's kinda like measuring a person's overall physical capability. It's difficult to determine the power levels of most humans. I have to concentrate really hard when trying to read a person's power level because-"_

"I think I understand what you're trying to say," Asui sharply cut through his rambling, narrowing her eyes in concentration as she spoke. "You compared your own strength - or power level as you call it - with Todoroki, Shoji and myself. You quickly realised that if you went all out from the beginning, the match would have ended within seconds of starting. You didn't want to steal the limelight away from the rest of us, _ribbit_. So...you tried to give both the villain team and myself the opportunity to demonstrate our abilities to All Might and the rest of the class."

Asui knitted her eyebrows together. "Am I right?"

Gohan slowly nodded, a look of fear falling over his helmeted face as he waited with bated breath for her to continue speaking. He could not help but feel apprehensive about her response. Would she react in anger or disappointment? He wondered if she even believed him.

Was she planning to tell their classmates and homeroom about their conversation? He could only imagine how their perception of him would negatively change if she informed them of his purposeful restraint.

However, much to his surprise, Asui's mouth stretched out in a small smile. "Son, I understand where you're coming from. I don't doubt that you're more powerful than the rest of us. After all, you were the one who finally beat All Might's record during the Entrance Exam. Even though he was recommended to U.A., I doubt even Todoroki would have achieved the score you did. As I said, I don't think you had any malicious intent, _ribbit_. I also don't doubt that you were well-intentioned.

"Still...I hope you now realise that it would be unfair and detrimental on both our classmates and yourself if you keep holding back your full potential," Asui said, her voice softening. "Some of our classmates may not be as understanding to your reasoning. They might think you're extremely arrogant and cocky - they might. even believe you to have such a superiority complex that you've already deemed them unworthy of your full power. Again, I'm not saying that you do, but the more ignorant members of our homeroom class may see it differently. It's also unfair to your development as a hero. How are you going to become stronger if you don't try your hardest?"

" _I...I think I understand_."

But Asui was not finished. "Besides, I actually think showing the true potential of your Quirk would actually serve as a good source of inspiration to our classmates. Seeing someone like you being so powerful would motivate them to become stronger and better skilled. I mean, we all want to be great heroes one day, but we all still have a long way to go until we can even come close to being a professional crimefighter. As first-year students, we have to learn from our teachers as well as our fellow students about what it means to be a hero. We can all support each other in our development, whether it be directly or indirectly."

Gohan could not help but be surprised at how mature his classmate sounded. She was of similar age to him, but the way she spoke reminded him of a fully-grown adult. And a seasoned one at that. Everything that she had said had been rational and well-reasoned. He could not argue with her logic. It would be most unkind to restrain himself in front of his classmates. He had not really given much thought about how the public usage of his abilities would impact on the mindset of his classmates.

Of course, it would not be possible for him to truly use his powers in an unrestrained manner. He highly doubted that Asui was aware of his full capabilities. Yet her words held much merit to them. He could not fully exhibit his powers, but he now realised that he did not have to be afraid of showcasing himself to the rest of his classmates.

Although he could not reveal their origin, he did not have to hide his powers or his capabilities from hero society. He lived in a world where superpowers were the norm. He did not have have to be afraid of spotlighting himself to both his peers and the glare of the public eye.

What she had told him was something that he would definitely take into consideration moving forward.

" _Thank you, Asui. I...I really do appreciate what you've told me,_ " Gohan found himself bowing towards his classmate. " _You're absolutely right - I can definitely serve as both an inspiration and an influence on our classmates. I_ _promise you: I won't hold back anymore. Next time, I'll give it my all."_

Asui smiled at him. "That's all I ask, Son. Not just for my or our classmates' sake, but for yours."

The half-saiyan nodded towards the frog-girl, before gesturing towards the exit tunnel. " _We should probably head back and join our classmates. We don't want to be tardy!"_

Asui lowered her gaze to the ground, and to his surprise, her cheeks began to redden. If he didn't know any better, he would have thought that she was blushing. "Son, there is one more thing I have to ask you. It's...it's a very difficult thing for me to ask, especially since we don't know each other that well. But..."

As her voice trailed off, Gohan furrowed his brow in confusion. She seemed almost embarrassed about what she was about to ask. " _What is it, Asui?"_

She softly sighed, before saying, "I was wondering _...ribbit,_ I would like it if you would call me by my first name. I would like it if you called me Tsuyu instead of Asui. Or even Tsu would be fine."

The half-saiyan's onyx eyes widened in surprise. Out of all the things she could have asked, that was quite possibly the last thing he would have expected from the frog-girl. " _Oh! Um, well uh, I don't mind-I mean, Asui, are you sure that you'd be okay with-?_ "

"It's _Tsuyu_ , Son," She said quickly. "And if it bothered me, I wouldn't have asked. I'll admit that when I first met you, I wasn't sure what to think. None of us did. At least to me, however, you've definitely proven yourself to be capable. You've certainly earned my respect. I feel like I can learn things from you. I feel like we can be friends. And that's why I'm requesting that you call me by my first name."

" _I-I don't know what to say. If-if you would like me to call you by your first name, then I would be happy to do so_ ," A sudden thought came to his mind. " _But I'll only do it on one condition: you have to call me by my first name as well. If we're going to be friends, I would like it if we both referred to each other by our first names. I would like it if you called me Gohan_."

The frog-girl pursed her lips, his face scrunching into a look of contemplation as she considered his offer. After what seemed like several minutes, she finally nodded.

A smile widened across her face as she responded with, "I...I suppose I can do that. It might take me some time to become comfortable with the idea, but I think I can manage it. Eventually."

With that, the two began walking towards the exit. As they left Ground Beta, the half-saiyan found himself sending a short prayer of thanks to Dende. Whether it had been his intention or not, he was thankful to the Kami of Earth for partnering him up with Tsuyu Asui.

* * *

It wasn't long after he had departed the faux-metropolitan-city of Ground Beta that Gohan found himself seated back in his homeroom.

He had not bothered with the facade of returning to the changing room; the watch that Bulma had made him allowed him to change back into his school uniform with a single press of the button. He had simply made sure that no one was watching him before doing so. As such, he found himself alone in the classroom waiting for his classmates to return from the changing rooms.

 _Such a useful device. It's such a time saver._ The half-saiyan mused as he stared down at the watch. which he had decided to keep clasped around his wrist. _Bulma never disappoints with her inventions. Still..._ _I wonder why_ _Capsule Corporation hasn't made this standard issue for all heroes? Perhaps she gave me a prototype model for me to test out? I wouldn't put it past her._

The next time that he visited Capsule Corp, Gohan made a mental note to ask her that exact question.

As he placed the prescribed textbook on his table, his classmates began trickling back into the classroom. To his relief, most did not seem surprised by his presence. The majority of students simply greeted him with either a nod or a wave before returning back to their assigned seats, taking out their things for the final lesson. The only one who completely ignored him was Katsuki Bakugo, but that was to be expected.

No one seemed to be in the mood to talk. Many of his classmates looked quite weary - the entire class seemed quite worn out from their Hero Studies lesson.

Class 1-A's final afternoon class for the day was Science. It was taught by a man whose costume resembled that of a stereotypical western cowboy. His face was covered by an old-school tan gas mask, with triangular holes for his eyes and silver ear-defenders wired to the sides of the mask. His dreadlocks - dark brown and shoulder-length - were visible from the side of his mask. He wore baggy dark brown pants with light brown chaps over them, large grey boots, a large red cloak buttoned up at the top and a brown cowboy hat with a thick metallic plate at the front, with a large "S" stamped in the middle of it.

When the man introduced himself as the pro hero Snipe, Gohan assumed that the "S" stood for his name. It seemed the most logical guess.

In any case, the half-saiyan found Snipe to be a rather knowledgeable and thorough teacher. As Science was one of his favourite subjects, Gohan found himself enjoying the lesson, even if he had already covered the material in his studies. If there was one thing he had learned from his tutoring sessions, an engaging teacher could make even the most boring of subjects interesting. And Science was far from boring.

Halfway through the lesson, Shoto Todoroki returned to class. Although his face was pale and his cheeks were slightly sunken, Todoroki appeared to have recovered quite well from their fight. After handing Snipe a note from Recovery Girl that explained his absence, the heterochromatic teenager walked back to his seat, which just so happened to be on the left-hand side of Gohan. As Todoroki sat down, the half-saiyan kept his gaze glued onto their teacher. He did not once make eye contact with him.

For the remainder of the lesson, Gohan made a special effort to not sneak a glance in Todoroki's was. He didn't desire to antagonise his classmate any further than he already had. However, as he jotted down in his notebook what Snipe had written on the board, Gohan's thoughts wandered back to their fight.

Although he had intended to irritate the sullen teen with his provocations, he still did not understand why Todoroki had reacted in such an incensed manner when he had mentioned Endeavor. Was he ashamed of his father? Were they not on good terms? Gohan knew that the relationship between Todoroki and his father was none of his business, but that did nothing to abate his curiosity.

 _I just don't want there to be any bad feelings between us._ Gohan reasoned to himself. _Maybe...maybe after the lesson ends, I can talk to him. Clear any bad air. Apologise if necessary._

Soon, their final period came to a close. As the bell rang, Snipe wrapped up their lesson by assigning them homework, before bidding them farewell. Within seconds of his departure, many students of Class 1-A stood up from their seats and began talking to their neighboring classmate.

"Hey Son," The half-saiyan turned to look at Ochaco, who sat to his right with a worried expression on her face. "Do you think Deku's okay? He missed our final lesson. He still hasn't come back from Recovery Girl's office."

Much to his shame, Gohan had been so focused on his relations with Todoroki that he had completely forgotten about the welfare of his green-haired friend. She was right. While Todoroki had been admitted out of the nurse's office, Midoriya had not. He assumed that his injuries were still being treated by the school nurse, for his friend had not returned to their homeroom.

"I'm sure he's fine, Uraraka," Gohan gave her a reassuring smile. "He did take a lot of damage during your battle trial. It's probably taking Recovery Girl a bit more time to patch him up. I'm sure he'll be back in no time."

"Yeah, you're probably right," Ochaco conceded. "Still, I'm gonna wait for him to come back. With how our battle trial ended, I feel like it's my responsibility to make sure he's okay. His things are still here anyway. If he doesn't come back, I'll just take his stuff to Recovery Girl's office and check up on him."

Gohan found Ochaco's concern for Izuku to be rather touching. Neither Midoriya or Uraraka knew each other particularly well, but a bond had already formed between the pair. He wondered if it had anything to do with what had transpired during the Entrance Exam. Gohan didn't know the exact details of what happened, but from the snippets of conversation he had overheard from Midoriya, Uraraka and Iida, Izuku had somehow saved her from the zero-pointer robot. How he had done so with such a volatile Quirk the half-saiyan had no idea.

"That sounds like a great idea. I think I'll stay back and wait for him too." He replied.

As the half-saiyan began placing his textbooks back into his bag, he took a quick look around Class 1-A. While Todoroki - and strangely Bakugo - were packing away their things in silence, the majority of his classmates did not seem too bothered about leaving, preferring to chat amongst themselves about the events of the day.

"Yoh Son!" Within a blink of an eye, the half-saiyan suddenly found his table being surrounded by Eijiro Kirishima and several other beaming students. "I know I'm beating a dead horse, but man, you were totally awesome during your battle trial. I had no idea what I was doing during my match, but you were like the complete opposite. It was so effortless with you. It was so manly! Even though you guys were the villains, you and Asui acted like total pros."

"Yeah, your match was so cool!" Ashido exclaimed, sitting on the corner of his desk with a wide grin across her face. "Your Quirk seems so crazy OP. I like the Quirk I have, but I have to admit I'm really jealous of yours."

"You're so lucky to be blessed with such a versatile Quirk!" Although he could not see her face, Gohan recognised the voice to belong to Hagakure. "Even All Might can't fly like you do."

"With a Quirk like that, you're gonna make pro within record time after graduating from this place," Kaminari said, leaning against his table and shooting him an electric smile.

Overwhelmed once more by the praise he was receiving, Gohan's felt his face flush with embarrassment. "Um thanks, guys. I'm just really lucky to have a pretty good Quirk. Yeah, that's it. A good Quirk."

"Dude, after watching your match, I was wondering something: do you practice martial arts?" Kirishima asked. "You seem to know how to fight, and you've got the build of a martial artist. You know, all sinewy and lean and muscular. I was just curious."

"Um, not at the moment. I used to train with my dad and his friends when I was pretty young," Gohan replied, readying himself for the questions his classmates undoubtedly would have. "I still know the basics, but I don't practice anymore. I'm pretty rusty at the moment. I gave up martial arts training to focus on my studies."

"Oh, that's cool," Kirishima gave him a toothy grin. "I know you said that you don't practice, but if you're ever up for it, I'd love to spar with you sometime. We should definitely train together!"

Not wishing to disappoint the redhead with a refusal, the half-saiyan gave him a tight-lipped smile. "Uh, if I'm not busy, I guess I'll consider it."

"I'd love to spar with you as well. Someone with your speed and strength would be a worthwhile opponent," Ojiro smiled at him. "I was actually wondering something as well: are you a Mr. Satan guy or an All Might guy?"

Gohan grinned. "Definitely an All Might guy."

"Hey Son, I know you're getting bombarded, but can I ask you a question?" When Gohan nodded, the burly Rikido Sato continued. "You're obviously powerful. And you have a pretty amazing Quirk. What do your parents do? Are they pro heroes?"

Gohan weighed the question in his mind. Even though his father was revered as a hero by the majority of superhero society, he had never operated as an officially licensed professional. The half-saiyan found it ironic that despite his father's heroic deeds, under Japanese law, Son Goku was technically a vigilante.

 _Not unlike the Golden Warrior, I suppose. Though I'm nowhere near as cool as Dad._

Gohan wanted to keep his answer as short as possible, so he simply replied to Sato with, "Um, no. They aren't pro heroes. Just regular people."

"Yeah, that makes sense. After all, if your parents were pros, you most likely wouldn't have had to take the Entrance Exam. Probably would've been recommended to U.A. like Todoroki and that Yaoyorozu chick." Kaminari remarked.

The mention of Todoroki caused Gohan to glance to his left. In the commotion that had encircled the half-saiyan, the heterochromatic teen had quietly slinked away. Fortunately, Gohan turned his head just in time to catch a glimpse of his classmate slipping out of the homeroom, his head low and his backpack slung over his right shoulder.

 _Damnit. Couldn't he have just wait a little longer?_

Gohan shot up from his seat, his sudden and unexpected movement causing Ashido and Kaminari to jump in surprise. "Hey guys, I'll be right back. I just need to do something real quick."

Before anyone could react, the half-saiyan wordlessly brushed past his confused classmates and followed Todoroki out of the room. Thankfully, Todoroki had not made it too far down the near-empty hallway, for Gohan was able to easily catch up to him within seconds of exiting Class 1-A.

"Hey, Todoroki." The heterochromatic teen stopped and slowly to face the half-saiyan. If he was surprised or confused about why Gohan was talking to him, his expression of cool indifference betrayed no emotion or feeling.

"Listen, I don't want to keep you, but I was just wondering if we could talk?"

Todoroki did not reply, merely regarding the half-saiyan with a glazed look in his mismatched eyes of turquoise and grey. Gohan took his silence as a sign to go ahead. "I just want to apologise if I offended you during our battle trial. Like Iida, I was trying to emulate the behaviour of a villain, but I might have gone a bit too far in a few places. If I said anything that might have deeply upset you, I'm sorry. That wasn't my intention."

Gohan gave him a warm smile, before extending out his right hand. "I know I probably didn't give off the best first impression, but I truly don't want there to be any bad feelings between us. In fact, I'm hoping that we can be friends. Your Quirk is absolutely amazing. I'd love to learn more about it!"

Todoroki looked down at the hand that Gohan had held out for him. Although his stare was vacant, behind those thin and reserved eyes, it seemed to the half-saiyan that he was internally debating whether to shake his hand or not.

Unfortunately, when Todoroki lifted his gaze, he shook his head. "I'm sorry, but I can't do that. I cannot in good conscience accept your offer of friendship. It would be most unwise."

Although he tried to hide it, a look of disappointment fell over Gohan's face. He had not expected Todoroki to reject his hand of friendship so callously. "I...I see. I'm sure you have your reasons. I...I won't bother you any longer."

A dejected Gohan turned around and began to slowly walk back to Class 1-A. However, he had only taken a few steps before Todoroki called out to him. When Gohan looked back at his classmate, Todoroki had placed his hands in his pockets, fixing him an intent stare.

"Son, I want you to know that I don't bear you any ill will for what happened during the battle trial," Todoroki said. "You didn't do anything wrong. As you said, you were playing the part of a villain. It was I who overreacted. I was playing the part of the hero - I should have steeled my emotions and ignored your taunts. Instead, I acted rash. It cost my team the match. I was foolish and weak. And stupid."

He narrowed his eyes at Gohan. "You were the one to finally beat All Might's record in the Entrance Exam. I knew this, yet I still underestimated you. I even saw your capabilities yesterday during our apprehension test, yet I still didn't take you seriously. That was my fault. I made that mistake. However, I promise you that I won't make that same mistake again.

"I hate to say it, Son, but you stand at the top of our class," Todoroki clenched his jaw. "I was operating on the false belief that I stood equal with you, but from where I really stand the truth is quite clear. You're easily the strongest in Class 1-A. Out of all of us, you currently have the best chance at being the next number-one hero. And that is why I have to surpass you. I made a promise to myself that I would be the one to oust All Might as the number-one hero in Japan. A friendship between us would only serve as a distraction. I can't afford to be distracted. I can't let anything get in my way."

And with that, Shoto Todoroki turned on his heel and walked away, leaving Gohan alone in the hallway.

 _Man, that guy is intense._ Gohan shook his head as he watched Todoroki turn a corner and disappear from sight. _He sounded so serious about being number-one._

Todoroki had declared his ambition to surpass Gohan. To the half-saiyan, he sounded eerily similar to a certain Saiyan prince he knew all too well. Except unlike Vegeta, Shoto didn't seem completely consumed by arrogance or pride. It seemed to Gohan that he felt that he had something to prove. What that was he had no idea.

"Wha-Gohan? Is that you?" A faint voice called out from behind him.

Gohan turned around, and to both his surprise and delight, found himself facing the ragged form of Izuku Midoriya. His green-haired friend was still wearing his now tattered hero costume, while his right arm was in a sling. He looked exhausted, and his face was besmirched with a few bruises and some dirt, but otherwise, he appeared fine.

"Hey Izuku!" Gohan approached his friend with a welcoming smile. "It's good to see you, man. Uraraka was getting worried about you. It seems like Recovery Girl healed you up pretty well. How do you feel?"

"Oh, um, yeah I uh-I'm feeling alright I guess. I feel a little worse for wear, but I think-I think I'm gonna be okay," Izuku nervously swallowed, before asking Gohan, "Was I really out for so long? Did I really miss our final afternoon class?"

When Gohan nodded, Izuku sighed. "Oh man, Mr. Aizawa is gonna kill me. He's probably going to choke me with his scarf. I'm so screwed for tomorrow."

Gohan waved a hand of reassurance. "You shouldn't worry about that. I'm sure Mr. Aizawa won't give you a hard time. Besides, it wasn't your fault that you missed out on Science. You sacrificed your arm so that you and Uraraka would win. "

"Yeah, but after what happened yesterday, I just don't want to get on his bad side," Izuku muttered, lowering his head. "He already warned me about recklessly using my Quirk. He already warned me about the consequences. I don't want to give him a reason to expel me. I worked so hard to get into U.A. High that I don't know what I would do if I were forced out. I have to get a hold over my Quirk. I have a responsibility. I...I have to get stronger. Not just for my sake, but for everyone around me. I have to-"

Gohan patiently waited for Izuku to finish speaking. It seemed to the half-saiyan that his green-haired friend was talking more to himself than to Gohan. He was addressing his own motivation to become a hero and was internalising the need to learn from his mistakes and become stronger.

Izuku shook his head, before looking up at Gohan with a thin smile. "Anyway, um, how did the battle trials go after I was knocked out? Actually, I'm really curious about yours."

"My match was the one after yours. I was partnered with Asui Tsuyu. We made up the villain team. We fought against Todoroki and Shoji," Gohan motioned for Izuku to follow him back to Class 1-A. "Todoroki froze the entire building and went inside to capture the weapon, leaving Shoji to guard the entrance. Before the match started, however, Asui and I quickly figured out what Todoroki and Shoji were planning to do. While Todoroki was freezing the building, Asui used her ability to stick to surfaces to scale down the building and ambush Shoji, while I confronted Todoroki. I knocked him unconscious, captured him and went to help Asui with Shoji. We ultimately won with time to spare."

When he stopped recapping his match, Gohan looked back at Izuku to see his reaction. His green-haired was gaping at him in disbelief, his widened eyes filled with astonishment. "That..that sounds absolutely amazing! I really wished I have been able to watch your match. You must have been incredible. I really would've loved to see you in action!"

Gohan sheepishly chuckled, placing a hand on the back of his neck. "Eh, I didn't really do anything. It was Asui who came up with our plan. You should give all the credit to her. The other matches were pretty cool. The match after us was Tokoyami and Sato as the heroes against Yaoyorozu and Mineta as the villains. The villain team did a lot better than we all expected, but they ultimately still lost.

Next up were Kaminari and Jiro as the heroes and Kirishima and Sero as the villains. The heroes tried their best, but they were defeated pretty quickly. That whole match was more akin to a jumbled mess. I remember Jiro was really mad at Kaminari about their loss - he apparently didn't stick to their plan. Anyway, the final match saw the hero team Ashido and Aoyama battling against the villains Hagakure and Ojiro. That last one was a really close call actually. Although the villains worked way better as a team, the heroes managed to win that one."

As they had reached the door to Class 1-A, Gohan gestured for Izuku to open the door. "If you want the specifics of those matches, you should ask our classmates. Most of them are still here. I'm sure they'd love to tell you."

When Izuku slid the door open and stepped into the classroom, he was immediately acknowledged by Kirishima, who gave him a wide grin. "Hey look guys! Looks like Son found Midoriya in the hallway. Good to have you back champ!"

Izuku let out a small gasp as Kirishima led a flock of their fellow classmates to him. As several introduced themselves to his green-haired friend, Gohan could not help but smile as they began to shower him with compliments and questions.

"Hey Deku!" Ochaco got up from her seat and rushed towards him, appraising his appearance with some concern. "Why didn't Recovery Girl heal your injuries?"

"Oh! It has to do with how much stamina I'm using." Izuku chuckled nervously, rubbing the back of his head with his left hand.

Ochaco frowned. "What does stamina have to do with it?"

"Uh, well, I'm pretty sure Recovery Girl's Quirk works something like-" Izuku suddenly stopped, tilting his head to the left as he noticed something amiss in front of him.

Izuku looked around the assembled students. "Hey guys, where's Bakugo? I thought he'd still be class."

The students of Class 1-A exchanged uneasy looks between them before Sero finally answered. "Dude, Todoroki and him already left. After Son went after Todoroki, Bakugo left in a huff. We...we tried to get him to stay back. You know, so we could talk about our results and introduce ourselves properly. He just didn't care to listen."

"That _garçon_ blond was mostly quiet when he left. Gone was that blazing anger. Most puzzling." Aoyama quietly commented.

"Yeah Deku, you just missed him," Ochaco said.

Without warning, Midoriya spun around and rushed past Gohan, causing him to jolt in surprise as he darted out of the room and began sprinting down the hallway.

"Wait, where the heck is he going? He just got here." Sero asked as the echoes of Izuku's pattering steps diminished.

"I think he's trying to catch Bakugo before he leaves the school," Gohan guessed, placing a finger on his chin. "I dunno why. Probably has to something to do with their match."

"Why would he wanna talk to him about that? It cost him his arm, but Midoriya beat him," Asui asked. "Bakugo will probably just try to blast him again."

"That guy is so scary." Mineta's limbs seemed to tremble at the thought of Bakugo.

"Yeah, seriously. I know they went to the same junior high, but damn, he needs to let that one go. Let him wallow in his own rage." Ashido said.

"Childhood friends who have turned into enemies. I think they view each other as rivals. Well, at least Deku does anyway. I dunno about Bakugo." Ochaco murmured to herself.

"With that Quirk of his, it's not much of a rivalry," Asui pointed out. "Midoriya got lucky today. Next time, I could see Bakugo winning over him."

"Midoriya is a total sweetheart compared to that Bakugo," Sato remarked. "If he ever wants to popular like Mr. Satan or All Might, he needs a major overhaul in personality."

The other students began discussing the relationship between Bakugo and Midoriya. Gohan pondered going after Izuku and making sure that he was okay. He quickly decided against it. There was clearly tension between the pair needed to resolve by themselves.

Unless there was a physical altercation between the two, he had no business interfering.

As Iida rushed over to scold Tokoyami for sitting on his seat, Gohan felt a tap on his shoulder. He turned around and found Kaminari grinning at him. "Hey Son, a few of us were thinking of heading to the mall afterward to check out the new arcade. Before you dashed after Todoroki, I was going to ask if you wanted to tag along."

Kaminari waved towards Kirishima and Ashido, beckoning them to come closer before saying, " It'd be Kirishima, Ashido, Hagakure, you and me. I think I can get Sato and Sero to come along as well. We can all go out for burgers and milkshakes after and just chill."

Gohan was taken aback by the invitation. "Um, well, I don't-I don't really know what to-"

"Come on Son. It would be totally sweet," Kirishima slung his arm around Gohan's shoulder. "We don't really have that much homework, and we don't really get enough time at school to just hang out and relax. There are some really cool games at the arcade that I wanna check out."

Flanking him on the left, Ashido hugged her arms around his bicep and pulled him to her chest. Gohan could not help but blush as she batted her eyelashes at him. "Yeah, it would be really rad if you came along. Besides, it would give us all the opportunity to get to know each other better!"

He initially considered declining. He did not want to incur the wrath of his mother by being heading home late. He especially did not want to be lambasted by her signature frying pan. Gohan, Goten, and even their father had been struck on the head one too many times by Chi Chi for doing something wrong. Considering his hybrid physiology, it hurt a lot more than he would have thought.

However, he recalled what his mother had said prior to his acceptance at U.A. Part of the reason she had allowed him to attend the hero academia was because she wished for him to make friends close to his age. Going to the arcade afforded him the chance to do that. His mother could be harsh and very strict, but most often than not she could be reasonable and accommodating. Those traits had only increased in frequency since the death of his father. Sometimes, he wondered if his death affected her far more than she let on.

 _Besides, I'll just call her and let her what I'm doing._ Gohan reasoned to himself. _I won't stay too long either._

"You know what?" After a long pause, Gohan finally nodded. "I'd love to join you guys."

* * *

"Kacchan! Wait!"

He had made it just in time. He had to speak to him. He had to let him know. As he ran out of the entrance foyer of the U.A. High's main building, Izuku Midoriya finally caught glimpse of the sulking figure of Katsuki Bakugo. He was walking down the brick pathway with his hands buried deep in pockets. Although Izuku could not see his face, he was surprised to see Kacchan's head bowed so low. It almost seemed as if he was sullen and downcast.

"Kacchan, wait up!" Izuku called out once again, panting as he jogged down the stairs and headed towards his childhood friend.

As Izuku neared, Kacchan finally stopped and glanced back at him, narrowing his red eyes. " _What_?"

Taken aback by the sudden growl in his voice, Izuku stopped in his tracks, letting out a small gasp. He felt sweat falling from his forehead and down his cheeks, his lips quivering. Although he was incredibly nervous about telling Kacchan the truth, he felt that it was the right decision. Especially given the circumstances. He deserved to know.

There was no point in delaying the inevitable.

Izuku dropped his gaze to the floor, breathing out slowly as Kacchan waited for him to speak. "I wasn't hiding my Quirk from you. It was given to me by someone else. Recently."

Kacchan grunted, causing Izuku to flinch. "But...I can't tell you who I got it from. I know it sounds absolutely insane. I know it sounds like something out a comic-book. Only it's real. The thing is...I don't really have any control over this power yet. I haven't figured out how to make it my own yet. But I'm trying. That's why...that's why I didn't want to use it against you during our match. But in the end, it was the only chance I had at winning."

Izuku gulped, keeping his eyes glued to the ground. He placed his left hand on his sling and continued with, "I still have a lot to learn. I know that. That's why I'm at U.A. High. I'm going to work as hard as I can to gain control of this borrowed Quirk."

The green-haired teen took a deep breath, steeling himself as he looked up once again at Kacchan. "And when I do that, I'll finally beat you with my own power."

Whether it be a reaction of anger or a reaction of surprise, Izuku had thought himself ready to deal with whatever Kacchan threw his way. The look on his face - his red eyes gleaming with a potent mixture of barely concealed rage and utter bewilderment - was not what he had prepared for.

 _Holy crap! What the hell am I saying._ Izuku's eyes widened as Kacchan's face shook with anger. _I only meant to tell him I wasn't tricking him._

"How dumb do you think I am?" Kacchan asked, swiveling his body to directly face Izuku. "Borrowed power? Don't talk to me like I'm an idiot. You already made a fool out of me in that damn battle trial exercise. So? Did you come here to rub it in? I lost. And to make matters worse, it was to you."

He slowly stepped back as Kacchan began trembling with anger. "I thought losing to you would be the worst part of my day. I was so sure that it would be. But you know what else happened? That damn friend of yours: Son."

Izuku furrowed his brow in confusion. "Go-Gohan? What does he have to do with-?"

"EVERYTHING!" Kacchan screamed, causing Izuku to yelp out in panic. "I came second place in the Entrance Exam to him. Not only did he double my score, he completely smashed the previous record set by All Might. I thought it was a fluke. I thought the two of you had worked together to cheat the exam. I couldn't understand why you both were so chummy. I couldn't believe a weak, pitiful and bumbling idiot like him would get into U.A. And everyone was gushing over him like he was a god! I thought that was bad enough. But...then I saw him. I actually saw him in action."

Kacchan tightened his hands into fists. "You weren't there. You didn't see. But I did! I saw him fight ice guy and that six-armed guy. That ice guy's Quirk was incredible. I thought he was invincible. Your friend destroyed him! It wasn't even a fight - the ice guy had no chance. Your friend beat them both within seconds. He made fools out of them. I couldn't even defeat you, an absolute weakling, in fifteen minutes. Yet...that bastard took them both down without even breaking a sweat."

"How am I supposed to compete with someone like that? How is anyone? Compared to Son, I might as well be a fly waiting to be squatted," Kacchan slapped his right hand over his forehead, his anger and frustrating tipping over the boiling point. "Crap! I even agree with what that girl said. My attack was so stupid! Damnit! Damnit! Damnit! DAMNIT!"

Kacchan looked up at Izuku, using his hands to wipe away the tears that were swelling in his eyes. "Enjoy that win Deku, because I promise that you won't get another! I'm just getting started! I'm going to end up the number-one hero no matter what. You'll never defeat me again, you bastard! Don't even try. It would be absolutely pointless. I'll defeat you...and your precious friend."

With that, Kacchan swerved around and began walking once more to the entrance.

Izuku breathed a sigh of relief, feeling a slight wave of nausea come over him as he comprehended what had just happened. With all things considered, that had not gone as bad as he expected. At least he was still alive.

" **THERE YOU ARE!** "

Suddenly, a large gust of wind flew past him. Izuku covered his eyes, protecting them from the dust being blown his way. When he lowered his arm away from his face, he was shocked to find the towering figure of his idol standing behind Kacchan.

" **YOUNG BAKUGO! I FINALLY FOUND YOU!"** All Might boomed, placing his hands on Kacchan's shoulders. " _ **Pride is an important attribute to have. But while you certainly have the ability to become a pro hero, there's still plenty you have to learn before-!**_ "

"Let go of me, All Might. Right now!" Kacchan snarled, surprising the Symbol of Peace. "I'll be more famous than you and I'll do it without your help. I'm coming for your title, number-one hero."

Kacchan shrugged out of All Might's grip. Without saying another word, he hunched his shoulders and walked away. It seemed to Izuku that Kacchan's brusque rejection had left All Might speechless.

 _Kacchan's fuse has been lit. There's a fire blazing under him._ Izuku clenched his right hand, a look of determination dropping over his face. _But that doesn't change what I have to do. I have to become stronger. I have to master One For All. I have to be a worthy successor. Still...Kacchan isn't the only one I have to chase after. I consider him to be a friend. But in the end, if I wanna be the greatest hero and the next number-one, I have to surpass him as well. I have to beat Son too._

* * *

 **Thanks for reading everyone. I hope you enjoyed the chapter. I decided to end the chapter with Izuku and Bakugo's talk at the end of Episode 8 of the anime to parallel the conversation between Shoto and Gohan. Both Todoroki and Bakugo view Gohan and Izuku respectively as their primary rivals.**

 **This chapter was the longest one yet and a nightmare to edit, but I loved writing it. The next chapter will detail Gohan's trip to the arcade, Class 1-A's representative election, the breach of the U.A. barrier and the introduction to the U.S.J. I have no idea when I'll upload it. Hopefully, it won't take as long as this one did.**

 **In terms of the pairings, I've eliminated Hagakure and Yaoyorozu. The former would be too weird and the latter is already being done extremely well in The Symbol of Peace and Justice. A lot of people have suggested pairing Gohan with Asui. I admit I didn't think of that at first, but it's actually a pretty good idea. I'm currently deciding whether to pair him with Asui, Kendo or Ashido. I'm leaning more towards the first two.**


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